Push to add regulations to charitable bond organizations after 3 repeat offenders’ bonds covered
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A mother is calling for accountability and regulation surrounding charity bail organizations at the state level after her son was killed in October.
The man charged in Dylan McGinnis’ murder had 3 pending felony charges when his bond was paid by The Bail Project.
There have been at least three instances this year where The Bail Project covered bail for someone who went on to commit a murder or another violent crime while out on bond.
Three weeks after Nikki Sterling’s son, Dylan McGinnis, was murdered in October she found out the man who was charged in her son’s murder, Travis Lang, was out on bond that had been paid for by The Bail Project.
“While we support the intent maybe for misdemeanors, you know smaller offences,” Sterling said. She continued, “the types of individuals that were being bailed out was alarming to us.”
Sterling would soon come to find that The Bail Project had covered at least a portion of the bond for multiple people who would go on to commit crimes while out on bond.
Marcus Garvin murdered his girlfriend while out on bond and on GPS monitoring in August.
Deonta Williams stabbed two IMPD officers while out on bond in early December.
Both had a previous criminal record and their bonds were reduced, thus starting Sterling’s mission at the state level to make a change.
“There is no obligation on behalf of the offender that is being bailed out to report to The Bail Project and there is no oversight to the offender once they are bailed out,” Sterling said.
In the 2021 legislative session, a bill regarding charitable bond organizations died. It limited those eligible to receive money from these organizations to people charged with misdemeanors and the organizations would only be able to pay $2,000 of the bond. Sterling is hopeful that a similar bill will be introduced this coming session in January.
“I am not saying dissolve it because I think that there could be some beneficial outcomes, it just definitely needs to be better regulated,” Sterling said.
When Lang’s bond was paid by The Bail Project, he had three pending felony cases against him. When asked about the efforts to regulate this process, The Bail Project said:
“At the time we interviewed Mr. Lang, his grandmother and fiancé had already secured part of his bail through a bail bonds agent, but they could not afford the rest. We provided assistance so they could bring him home while he waited for the court to decide his case. We denounce violence in all its forms, and it is never our intention to put anyone at harm.”
David Gaspar, National Director of Operations with The Bail Project
News 8 did reach out to the representative who sponsored the 2021 bill regarding the regulation of the charitable bond organizations but we have not heard back on whether or not they plan to reintroduce a new version of the bill this year.
