Businessman faces arraignment for failing to report for jail time
WAYNESBURG – An arraignment hearing has been set for Waynesburg car salesman Gary Thomas Howard after county officials found the fugitive businessman hiding in Morgantown, W.Va., in December. According to court records, Howard will appear before the court Feb. 14 on charges relating to his escape from police custody in July 2004 after he disappeared while making restitution payments to dozens of area auto buyers.
Greene County District Justice Neil Canan remanded Howard to the Greene County Prison Jan. 6 and set bond at 10 percent of $300,000.
According to Greene County District Attorney Marjorie Fox, Howard has yet to post his bond.
In mid December, Marion County Sheriff’s Department, working in conjunction with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department found Gary Thomas Howard hiding in an apartment, after Greene County District Attorney Marjorie Fox issued a bench warrant for his arrest Aug. 16.
The 45-year-old, who pleaded guilty in 2000 to deceptive business practices that left more than 80 local residents in financial turmoil, stopped making his monthly restitution payments in June and had not reported for his weekly jail time at the Greene County Prison since July 8.
Howard initially told Greene officials he was in the hospital suffering with a heart condition in early July, but did not provide written verification of his whereabouts and has since stopped corresponding with the county altogether not making his required monthly payment of $4,000.
The case stems from Howard’s business activities in the late 1990s when he coerced dozens of automobile customers into a personal profit scheme that had the would-be car buyers taking out personal loans and then giving the money to Howard to offset the cost of the car loan.
Howard, according to court papers, coerced customers into signing for loans for which they never applied. State police indicated that Howard asked customers for signatures, and oftentimes took out additional loans in their names.
Howard also padded the monthly incomes of his victims when he made the applications, and in at least one case, changed the job description of a victim. In March 2000, Howard was ordered before Greene County Judge Terry Grimes to serve 29 to 58 months in prison and ordered him to make restitution payments totaling more than $250,000 to the 10 original victims. Then-District Attorney Glenn Toothman agreed to a deal that would allow Howard to continue to work so he could make restitution payments while serving 72 hours of jail time each week.
Following the plea, police continued to investigate Howard’s business practices and found an additional 73 victims, all of whom are scheduled to receive restitution.
Howard also ceased payments and missed jail time in 2003.