Tiggs Bond Set at $500K for Newbury Pharmacy Robbery

July 25, 2013

By Ann Wishart and Josh Echt
Bond was set at $500,000 cash or surety for Zachary Tiggs, 21, who appeared before Chardon Municipal Court Judge Terri Stupica Tuesday morning for his alleged part in the armed robbery of Newbury Pharmacy on July 11.
Deputies led Tiggs, of 5435 Milford St. in Detroit, away to the Geauga County Safety Cen-ter after the bond hearing.
He and three others have been charged with various crimes related to the aggravated robbery of Newbury Pharmacy.
“Aggravated robbery is a violation of Ohio Revised Code Section 2911.01 and is a first-degree felony,” Stupica said. “It’s punishable by a maximum of two to eight years and up to a $15,000 fine.”
Chardon attorney Bob Wa-ntz advocated for a $100,000 bond for Tiggs, contrary to the prosecution’s request to keep it at $500,000.
“He is gainfully employed in Detroit. He pays his rent and works at temp service, making $9 an hour, plus he has no prior criminal record,” Wantz said.
He also said, unlike the other three charged with crimes, Tiggs did not utilize a weapon during the crime.
“Tiggs was not involved in the other charges that others were charged with,” Wantz said. “The bond’s excessive. He has no record of a record.”
Although Wantz advocated for a reduced bond, Stupica said due to Tiggs living out of state, she had to accept the Geauga County Prose-cutor’s Office recommendation of a $500,000 bond.
Wantz will not represent him in the case, as Tiggs filed out a financial affid-avit that could ensure him a future court-appointed attorney, Dailey said after the hearing.
“However, we have to hear back from his family on that matter,” she added.
Tiggs’ preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m. July 31 in Stupica’s courtroom unless he is indicted by the grand jury before that, Dailey said.
Tiggs and a 17-year-old juvenile were extradited from Detroit where they fled by bus after the robbery of the pharmacy on Kinsman Road.
The juvenile reportedly stole two bags full of drugs from pharmacist Bob Martin at gunpoint while Tiggs dis-tracted Colleen Martin, Bob’s wife, at the front of the store.
They fled the scene in a get-away car Ashtabula residents Johnathan Moore, 25, and cousin Joshua Moore, 21, alleg-edly provided and were apprehended because a passerby followed the vehicle long enough to get the license plate number and report it back to deputies.
Social media helped track the vehicle to Ashtabula County.
Tiggs and the juvenile were arrested at the Detroit bus station by Michigan State Police late July 11 and were brou-ght back to Geauga County by sheriff’s deputies Monday, Bailey said.
Tiggs is being held at the Geauga County Saftey Center on Merritt Road.
A representative of the Geauga County Juvenile Court said the juvenile, which they refer to by initials R.M.M., was being detained, but she would not say where.
Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz filed a motion this week in juvenile court asking the 17-year-old, who has been charged with aggravated robbery, kidnapping and felonious assault, be transferred to adult court.
Flaiz said all three counts have gun specifications alleging the 17-year-old had a firearm on him while committing the offenses and displayed the gun.
Under Ohio?Law, it is mandatory the case against a juvenile be transferred to adult court if certain factors are satisfied, Flaiz said in a statement.
“In this case, since R.M.M. was 17 at the time of the offense and because he had a firearm that he brandished during the commission of an aggravated rob-bery and kidnapping, it is mandatory that the juvenile court send the case to the General Division of Common Pleas Court,”?he wrote.
The juvenile court held a detention hearing Tuesday afternoon (see sidebar).
Geauga County Juvenile and Probate Court Judge Tim Grendell will decide if the case should be transferred at a future hearing.
The Moores, who reportedly drove a black Dodge Challenger and, later, a Dodge pick-up truck as the get-away vehicles, appeared in Stupica’s court on July 15.
Bond was set at $250,000 each, Dailey said.
The court appointed Todd Peterson as legal counsel for Johnathan Moore, who had not made bail as of Tuesday and is also at the safety center.
Joshua’s family hired attorney Jennifer Schwartz from Cleveland to represent him and he is out on bail, Dailey said.
The Moores are scheduled for an appearance in the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas on Aug. 9, she said.