District Attorney Ian Jones: Another example of how ridiculous “bail reform” is
By Andrew Harris
Residents of Wellsville have received a disturbing reminder to always keep vehicles locked when not in use. In two separate incidents, vehicles were recently stolen in the village, both thieves were arrested, both repeated offenders.
Wellsville Chief of Police summarized that crimes:
“A vehicle was stolen from W. State St. sometime Friday evening – early Saturday morning. It was being operated by Jarrette LaFlash of Wellsville and recovered in the Williamsport, Pa. area. Last I knew, La Flash was being held in the Lycoming County Prison on charges separate from the vehicle theft. LaFlash is out of prison on parole and we have charges pending.
The second vehicle was stolen by Chad Mulholland of Wellsville from Depot St. on Monday . After several brief police pursuits involving multiple agencies, he crashed the vehicle in the Town of Willing. The State Police are handling that case.
Residents are advised to lock their vehicles when parked and never leave the keys in them.“
The victims of these crimes place much of the blame squarely on criminal justice reform in New York State. Both LaFlash and Mulholland have extensive criminal records and have been released from incarceration multiple times over the last five years.
The car thief who stole a vehicle from a local auto repair shop, Jarrette LaFlash, was sent to state prison in 2024 for breaking into a local pediatrician’s office. LaFlash was also arrested in 2023 by the Wellsville Village Police for felony burglary. As Chief O’Grady explained, LaFlash has new criminal charges pending in the Village of Wellsville.
Allegany County District Attorney Ian Jones has long expressed his frustration with NY State criminal justice reform, aka “bail reform.” He reacted to the recent arrest of Mulholland who he has successfully prosecuted:
“The most recent arrest of Chad Mulholland is another example of how ridiculous “bail reform” is. The fact that someone is able to be repeatedly released due to the bail statute serves no positive purpose.
I have often said that bail reform is so bad that it’s even harmful to the defendants it purports to help, and I think that’s certainly the case here.
In the coming days my office will do everything appropriate and necessary that is allowed by law to see that this defendant is held on bail, as I believe that is what justice calls for in this case.”
On August 11, NY State Police charged Mulholland with felony grand larceny, misdemeanor fleeing police in a motor vehicle and obstruction.
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