Delphos businessman’s bond revoked

Van Wert independent

A Delphos businessman will have to operate that business from jail after Van Wert County Common Pleas Judge Charles Steele revoked his bond for using a cell phone in the court’s lobby.

Robert Fishbein, 48, of Lima, appeared in an orange Van Wert County Correctional Facility jumpsuit during a hearing held Tuesday over whether he violated terms of a $200,000 cash bond set in his witness intimidation case.

Fishbein, president and CEO of I&K Distributors in Delphos, was indicted on a charge of intimidating a witness and was originally released on a $150,000 bond, with $15,000 of that to be paid in cash. However, the alleged victim in the case charged that Fishbein had attempted to contact her in connection with the case on a number of occasions, and Judge Steele then upped the bond to $200,000 — all in cash — and banned Fishbein from using any telephone directly, even to do business, stating that another person would have to dial the phone and then monitor what was being said to ensure Fishbein was not violating his bond conditions.

Just minutes after being arraigned on the intimidation charge, though, Fishbein was seen by Adult Probation Officer Jim Loughrie using his cell phone in the Common Pleas lobby in violation of Judge Steele’s phone ban.

In addition to being remanded to the county lock-up, Fishbein also signed a waiver of his right to a speedy trial — something needed because of the time he will be spending in jail.

However, Judge Steele did not order forfeiture of the $200,000 bond, noting instead that the bond amount be returned to the person who posted it on behalf of Fishbein.

A pretrial conference has been scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday, December 14, in the case.