From the Union Leader…
CONCORD – State Rep. James Ryan, state chairman of U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden’s presidential primary campaign, has been jailed since Tuesday in connection with 1992 forgery charges.
Ryan, 50, D-Franklin, was arrested on charges that he has not met a court order to pay $9,675 on what his lawyer said was once $33,000 in court-ordered restitution. Ryan serves as chairman of the House Transportation Committee, and in that post is also a member of the House Democratic leadership team.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama tapped Biden last week as his pick for vice president.
A bail hearing conducted by telephone yesterday ended with a continuance of a $9,675 cash bail order against Ryan, Carroll County Attorney Robin Gordon said.
“If he’d just pay the money, we’d all be happy,” Gordon said.
The restitution order stems from Ryan’s arrest in 1992 on four charges of forgery. Gordon said case files show Ryan went to several banks to cash checks that were signed in someone else’s name. He received suspended sentences.
In May 2007, Ryan was arrested for failure to pay restitution, and was held on $5,000 cash bail. When he posted the bail, it was applied to the repayments. Gordon said the same would happen with the current bail.
Ryan will be held at Carroll County House of Correction through the holiday weekend. He can seek another bail hearing through an attorney, said the Carroll County Superior Court clerk’s office.
Manchester attorney James Craig, who served with Ryan two years ago in the New Hampshire House, said he will request a change in bail early next week. Craig said he took Ryan’s case late Thursday, too late to be involved in the hearing yesterday.
Ryan also lost his house to foreclosure this month.
Rep. Daniel Eaton, D-Stoddard, House majority floor leader and a Biden supporter, said yesterday he did not know much about the case.
“Due to the fact it’s just a charge at this point, we will wait to get the details. But we wish him very well and hope it is resolved quickly and amicably,” he said.
Ryan did not appear this week at a meeting the Transportation Committee held jointly with the Public Works and Highways Committee. Members of the committees were told that Ryan had been called away to an emergency.
The two committees wanted details on a whether proper procedures were followed in awarding a commuter bus service contract related to the widening of I-93. The state signed with Boston Express to provide service between park-and-ride areas along the interstate and Boston’s South Station and Logan Airport.