Trammell turns himself in to face charges

The Rev. Raleigh Trammell (right) is escorted from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Dayton chapter office by a federal agent Thursday Feb. 11, 2010. A federal search warrant was served according to an official at the scene.

Staff photo by Jan Underwood The Rev. Raleigh Trammell (right) is escorted from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Dayton chapter office by a federal agent Thursday Feb. 11, 2010. A federal search warrant was served according to an official at the scene.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Staff photo by Jan Underwood The Rev. Raleigh Trammell turned himself in at the Public Safety Building in Dayton on Jan. 14, 2011.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Lynn Hulsey  and Tom Beyerlein, Staff Writers Updated 10:30 PM Friday, January 14, 2011

DAYTON — The Rev. Raleigh Trammell was released Friday from the Montgomery County Jail a few hours after he turned himself in to face 51 felony counts of grand theft, forgery and tampering with government records.

Trammell did not comment as entered or left the jail.

Trammell’s attorney had called the office of Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck Jr. to arrange Trammell’s surrender, which occurred just before 11 a.m. at the Dayton Public Safety Building, said Heck spokesman Greg Flannagan. Trammell attorney Martin Pinales of Cincinnati could not be reached for comment.

Bond was set at $10,000 cash by Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Timothy O’Connell, who ordered that Trammell be placed on electronic home monitoring before release. The bond was posted by a bail bondsman.

Trammell’s arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Thursday in O’Connell’s court.

On Wednesday a Montgomery County grand jury indicted Trammell on charges related to his handling of taxpayer money in a home-delivered meals program for needy elderly people. Trammell, former chairman of the Dayton Chapter of the SCLC and executive director of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, is accused of stealing nearly $50,000 that was to be spent on food for the elderly between 2005-2010. The program was funded with Montgomery County Human Services Levy money through contracts with the SCLC and IMA.

The charges came after a 2010 Dayton Daily News investigation raised questions about several publicly funded social service programs operated by the SCLC and IMA, including the food program. A federal investigation continues into allegations that the SCLC and IMA accepted FEMA money for a non-existent food pantry and domestic violence shelter, and that Trammell and another man misappropriated money from the national SCLC. Trammell was ousted last year as chairman of the national and local SCLC.

Trammell, pastor of Central Missionary Baptist Church in Jefferson Twp., was convicted in 1978 for crimes committed when he was deputy director of the Montgomery County Welfare Department. His conviction on two counts each of grand theft and larceny came after he used the identity of someone he knew to create false records to steal taxpayer money.

Trammell was the highest ranking welfare official arrested in 1977 when 26 welfare workers and clients were named in an indictment alleging theft, fraud and forgery totaling $1.2 million.

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