ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Two men accused of kidnapping and seriously assaulting a man in Bellaire were arraigned Monday.

Richard West III, 47, of 110 E. 23rd St., Bellaire and Sherman Leasure, 22, of 924 Hughes Ave., Martins Ferry appeared on video from the Belmont County Jail and pleaded innocent before Common Pleas Judge John Vavra. Leasure’s plea agreement deadline was set for Oct. 2 and his trial for Oct. 17. West’s plea agreement deadline was scheduled for Sept. 5 and his trial date Sept. 19.

Their bonds will remain at $100,000 each.

Charges stem from an incident in mid-July when law enforcement was notified that a 24-year-old man had been brought to a medical facility with “extensive injuries.” According to law enforcement, the man said two people broke into his residence, beat and robbed him.

Vavra said Leasure faces six charges. One of them is first-degree felony kidnapping with two firearm specifications, a one-year specification and a three-year specification.

“If the jury makes a finding that those are true, those specifications, then you serve that time before any prison sentence for the charge,” Vavra told him, adding that the kidnapping charge carries a sentence of three to 11 years in prison.

Leasure also faces two charges of second-degree felonious assault with a potential sentence of two to eight years, also with one- and three-year firearm specifications. The other three charges are fourth-degree felony abduction with a three-year firearm specification, third-degree felony having weapons under disability and third-degree felony abduction with no firearm specification. All three carry sentences of three years.

Leasure said he understood the charges but had questions.

“I’m not quite understanding where all these gun charges came from,” Leasure said.

Vavra responded that those were the findings of the grand jury that indicted Leasure.

Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Rine asked for a high bond, saying the Adult Parole Authority also intends to charge Leasure with parole violation. Rine said $100,000 is a higher-than-normal bond, but there are several circumstances justifying it.

“Mr. Leasure was released from prison on July 1, 2023. He was convicted of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer in 2020,” Rine said, noting that incident occurred in Washington County and that Leasure also had been convicted of escape from a transitional facility in Washington County. “There are two very recent big felony convictions that include some incident where there was a flight from authorities.”

Rine said Leasure is also charged with offenses of violence directed against an individual who apparently testified against him in another matter.

Leasure protested that the Adult Parole Authority placed a hold on him for violation of parole, but his only violation was the new allegations.

Vavra said Leasure was arrested or indicted for new crimes.

“So that’s why the APA is holding you,” he said.

“They said that I was in violation, so therefore I would have to serve time for a violation, and there’s no violation except for” the recent charges, Leasure said.

He asked when his APA hearing would be scheduled. Vavra said Leasure’s attorney would look into that.

Vavra reviewed five similar charges for West, although there are no firearm specifications in his case. The charges are fourth-degree felony kidnapping, two second-degree charges of felonious assault, third-degree felony abduction and third-degree felony having weapons while under disability, or while being a person prohibited to have them due to previous convictions.

Rine said a high bond was warranted in West’s case as well.

“While Mr. West does not have the recent criminal problems Mr. Leasure has, he is no stranger to the law. He has been previously convicted of violent felony offenses in 2006 in Belmont County,” Rine said.

Afterward, Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan said there was evidence that one of the co-defendants was armed with a gun during the incident. He said the victim testified against Leasure during a prior case in juvenile court, not one of the more recent cases. Flanagan said the victim is still being treated for his injuries.

“That is why the charge was filed as a felonious assault, given the significant injury that the victim had suffered,” he said.