FRANK LEWIS

PDT Staff Writer

A former Portsmouth Daily Times employee, charged with felony theft, in connection with a series of thefts from the paper, was arraigned Wednesday in Scioto County Common Pleas Court.

Joshua Charles, 32, who now lives in Albuquerque, N.M., formerly of Brookside Drive in Wheelersburg, entered a not guilty plea to a charge of theft.

Charles is accused in the theft of at least $4,800 by reportedly pocketing money from the recycling of paper from the company.

Judge Howard H. Harcha III set bond at $15,000 and allowed Charles to sign his own bond, also taking the opportunity to set a date in September for a pre-trial hearing. Harcha read correspondence from Mearan asking for the September date to allow Charles time to raise restitution money.

Harcha ordered Charles to stay away from any Portsmouth Daily Times property and asked him to sign a Waiver of Time agreement, telling Charles and Dever that after the September hearing, Charles’ trial should be scheduled “pretty quick after that.” He was also ordered to go to the Scioto County Jail for fingerprinting.

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com.