Police push high bond for ‘prolific offender’

A man facing 14 criminal charges got a little extra attention from the Spokane Police Department when three officers showed up for his court hearing to ask a judge to keep him in jail. Antonio G. Moore, 19, is one of the city’s “most prolific offenders,” said Officer Kyle Yrigollen of the department’s new Chronic Offender Unit. Moore is a known criminal and drug addict and should stay in jail until his underlying problems are addressed, Yrigollen said. The prosecutors office requested $110,000 bond on the five separate cases Moore is facing. “He is presumed innocent on these charges,” Moore’s attorney Jay Ames said, objecting to the high amount. Spokane County Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt set Moore’s bond at $5,000 on each of three cases and $7,500 on the two newest cases for a total of $30,000. Moore has one prior adult conviction for theft in 2013. He was arrested Monday on five felony warrants plus new charges of theft of a motor vehicle and first-degree trafficking in stolen property. His pending charges include two counts of residential burglary, second-degree possession of stolen property and nine counts of second-degree identity theft. The new Chronic Offender Unit that launched this week will work with the top 20 repeat offenders to either get them the treatment necessary to end their criminal habits or ensure they stay off the streets, said Lt. Tracie Meidl. The new unit, which includes two officers in addition to Meidl, is currently focusing on property crimes. “Our goal now is to contact each one of those offenders and find out what is keeping them in the criminal world,” she said. Help for drug problems, mental health issues and housing issues will be offered, Meidl said. If help is refused, the unit will work to get higher bonds and increased jail sentences to keep them off the streets, she said.