SUNBURY – Another Northumberland County defendant was released on nominal bail Thursday. 47-year-old Michael Vellner of Kulpmont was arrested in April 2015 accused of inappropriately touching a 14-year-old girl while she was asleep at his house.
At trial Thursday, Northumberland County President Judge Charles Saylor granted Vellner’s motion for a mistrial based on a video of an interview with police. Vellner’s attorney, Michael Rudinski, then made a motion to release Vellner under Rule 600 as he had not been brought to trial in 180 days, as required.
In a statement, Northumberland County District Attorney Tony Matulewicz said Vellner was eligible for release on nominal bail on October 31, 2015. A new trial on the sex charges is scheduled for April.
After his release on $1 bail, Vellner was arrested by Kulpmont police on drug charges. He was arraigned before district judge Richard Cashman and returned to SCI Coal Township on $50,000 bail.
Matulewicz says his office is in the process of implementing major changes to ensure defendants are not released on nominal bail and that Vellner’s release was beyond his control as the delays “accrued under the prior administration.”
