Judge orders Springfield man accused of murder back to custody

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A Springfield man accused of shooting into a crowd and killing a man is back in custody.

Gabriel Crossley, 31 was ordered back into the custody of the Clark County Jail by Clark County Common Pleas Judge Douglas Rastatter because of new charges unrelated to the homicide. Rastatter imposed a new $500,000 bail on Crossley. Previously, Rastatter set a bail of $250,000 in the case.

Crossley is accused of killing Jahream Beard, 35, last year by shooting him outside the Wagon Wheel bar in Springfield.

Crossley was out of jail on bond when he was stopped Oct. 11 by a Springfield police officer for having a window that was illegally tinted, according to documents filed in Clark County Municipal Court. Officers also found marijuana, cocaine and a loaded handgun in the glove box of the car that Crossley was driving, documents stated.

Crossley was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle; he also faces drug charges. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and a new bond was set for him at $5,000.

The new charges prompted Clark County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Driscoll to request Rastatter to change the man’s bond arrangements in the murder case.

“We have an individual who obviously charged with a very serious crime, murder, and then we have a subsequent recent arrest where a firearm was found,” Driscoll told the court Monday.

Driscoll said officers also found what is believed to be cocaine in the car.

Jon Paul Rion is defending Crossley in the case and asked the judge for bond modifications instead of revocation. He asked the court to consider putting Crossley on home detention and noted that Crossley has never missed a court appearance.

A next court date has not been set in the case.

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