BRIEF: Ex-bondsman, employee put on community service

Sept. 11--A former bail bondsman and an employee each were placed on community control for three years Wednesday for posting a $50,000 bond from an unlicensed bonding company.

Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Gene Zmuda also ordered Damon Hogan and Ericka Burns to each perform 200 hours of community service and have no involvement with bail-bond agencies during that time.

Judge Zmuda told Hogan, 32, now of Pickerington, Ohio, that Hogan "knew better and to some extent set Miss Burns up." The judge ordered Hogan to spend 90 days on electronic monitoring while in Lucas County.

Hogan, who ran Damon Hogan Bail Bonds in Toledo and Columbus, was convicted July 23 of complicity to forgery after a three-day bench trial before Judge Zmuda. Burns, 43, of 2530 Heather Hills Rd., was guilty of forgery. Both were acquitted of record tampering.

Prosecutors showed Hogan had Burns post a bond Oct. 30 under the name of Free Me Now Bail Bonds, which was then not a licensed agency. Burns said before sentencing she knew something was wrong but was following orders.

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