Bond has been raised to $1 million for a Sun Valley man charged with felony possession of a firearm who was released from jail last week only to find himself back behind bars a day later, charged with three new misdemeanor crimes.
Craig Eric Everhart, 56, had been incarcerated in the Blaine County jail on $50,000 bond since his arrest by Ketchum police on March 17 on a felony charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and a misdemeanor charge of using a telephone to "annoy, terrify, threaten, intimidate, harass or offend."
He was released on bail on May 22 and arrested again on May 23 on new misdemeanor charges of violation of a no-contact order, resisting arrest and assault or battery upon police.
On May 24, 5th District Court Judge Jon Brody, who normally presides in Minidoka County, set bond at $1 million in the earlier felony case. Brody was assigned as presiding judge following disqualification motions "without cause" filed earlier in the case against district Judges Robert J. Elgee and John K. Butler.
Everhart remained incarcerated this week in the Blaine County jail.
In the first case against him, Ketchum police allege that on March 16 Everhart made numerous threatening telephone calls to a female acquaintance, a 51-year-old Blaine County woman. He was located the following day. According to a Ketchum police report, Everhart at the time had a loaded 12-gauge shotgun in his vehicle.
Blaine County court records state that Everhart was charged with felony possession of a firearm because of prior felony convictions in California, including grand theft, possession of a controlled substance and an earlier count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Ketchum police allege that after being released on bond on May 22, Everhart went to the Casino Club later that evening. A probable-cause affidavit filed by Ketchum Detective Tom Moreland states that the woman Everhart had allegedly threatened in the earlier case was at the Casino Club at the time and that Everhart had been issued a no-contact order regarding the woman.
Moreland wrote that investigation showed that Everhart stayed at the bar for several minutes, knowing the woman was there. Moreland wrote that Everhart didn't talk to the woman but stared directly at her while at the Casino Club as if to intimidate or as if "he was making a statement." Moreland wrote that Everhart didn't leave the Casino Club until asked to do so by a bartender.
Moreland wrote that the woman reported the incident the following morning. Police located Everhart later that day on Leadville Avenue in Ketchum. Moreland wrote that Everhart tried to flee when told he was going to be arrested on the no-contact-order-violation charge and that he tried to strike arresting officers. Once subdued, Everhart was taken back to jail, police reported.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com
Craig Eric Everhart
