Court Watching: Prosecutor has the missing evidence, now suspect is a no-show

Bernardo Keith Frye, 54, did not show up for his preliminary exam on Jan. 4, so 34th District Court Judge Brian A. Oakley signed a bench warrant for his arrest.
Frye is charged with operating while intoxicated-3rd and failure to stop at a property damage accident with an attended vehicle on April 14, 2007 in Van Buren Township.
He was free on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond, but that bond is now cancelled. His court-appointed attorney is Luther Glenn.
VBT Sgt. Marc Abdilla is the officer in charge of the case.
Frye’s preliminary exam had been set for Dec. 21, but at that time Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Nadine Hammoud said the People could not proceed on the case because Sgt. Abdilla was on vacation and wouldn’t be back until January and they can’t find the file on the case, but will find it soon.
Judge Tina Brooks Green said this was a drunk driving charge from 2007 and she was not inclined to dismiss the charge.
Judge Green questioned VBT Detective Donovan McCarthy about the whereabouts of the file and he said they would have to go into the archives to find it.
Hammoud said Frye had three prior drunk driving convictions and he was unable to post his $5,000/10% bond. She said he had been in the Jackson County Jail since Sept. 5 on another charge and then was brought over to Wayne County Jail where he’d been since Dec. 5 on these charges.
Frye’s court-appointed attorney Glenn made a motion to dismiss the charge and have the warrant reissued when the officer is back and the file is found.
Prosecutor Hammoud said she would have no opposition to a personal bond with an electronic tether. Judge Green put him on personal bond which included alcohol testing and reset his preliminary exam for Jan. 4 before Judge Oakley.
But, on Jan. 4, Frye failed to appear.
Matthew Christopher Farrow
Matthew Christopher Farrow, 21, had his probable cause conference reset for Jan. 11, instead of the scheduled Jan. 4 date, on charges of breaking and entering of a building with intent; malicious destruction of personal property more than $1,000 but less than $20,000; and malicious destruction of personal property worth more than $200, but less than $1,000. This is alleged to have happened on Dec. 24 in Van Buren Township. He is free after posting $3,500/10% bond. VBT Sgt. Jeff Gueli is the officer in charge of the case.
Anthony Smith
Anthony Smith, 47, waived his upcoming preliminary exam and Judge Oakley bound him over to circuit court for a Jan. 11 arraignment on the information. He is charged with a felony count of retail fraud first-degree in VBT on Dec. 21.
He was lodged in Wayne County Jail Division III on bond of $10,000/10% and was brought to the court lockup to be present for his probable cause conference.
The Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor said he objected to personal bond for Smith, as requested by his court-appointed attorney, since Smith had a number of prior convictions. Judge Oakley reduced Smith’s bond to $1,000/10% and told Smith he cannot return to Walmart as part of his bond.
Officer in charge of the case is Detective Donovan McCarthy.
Michael Edwin Way
A bench warrant was issued for Michael Edwin Way, 39, when he did not show up for his probable cause conference before Judge Oakley on a felony count of domestic violence in Sumpter Township which is alleged to have happened on Dec. 22. Way reportedly was lodged in the Washtenaw County Jail on another charge, but the court didn’t know if he had been released.