N.J. officials set local sex offender free
By Dwayne Bremer
Feb 1, 2013, 18:29
Hancock County authorities were taken aback this week when a suspect wanted here for alleged sex crimes was allowed to post a fugitive bond in New Jersey.
Last week, Stanton Ulmer, 37, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals in Monmouth, N.J.
Ulmer, a Hancock County resident and convicted sex offender, was wanted here for allegedly trying to lure a young boy to have sex with him.
Ulmer had previously been arrested in Hancock County in September 2012, for allegedly possessing child pornography.
He had posted bond on the child porn charges. The new charge-- enticement of a child to meet for sexual purposes--was filed a few weeks ago.
The child porn case is awaiting presentation to the grand jury, officials said.
Ulmer had apparently gone to New Jersey earlier this month, and the marshals tracked him to his parents home in Monmouth County, where they arrested him last week.
Ulmer was convicted of three counts of first degree sexual assault in 1999 in New Jersey.
Hancock County Sheriff Ricky Adam said Friday that he was alerted this week that Ulmer was allowed to post a fugitive bond and was released from custody. Adam said Hancock County was not consulted about the bond.
"All we got was a message saying they released him, that's it," Adam said.
Fugitive bonds are rare, but they do happen, Assistant District Attorney Charlie Wood said Friday.
"Each jurisdiction can decide if they want to allow fugitive bonds or not," Wood said. "We don't see them too much, but they do happen."
Officials said Ulmer faces an extradition hearing in New Jersey on Feb. 14, when a judge will decide if he should be sent back to Mississippi.
If he fails to show up at the hearing, the bonding company would be responsible for returning him to custody or paying the entire bond, officials said.
One option to ensure Ulmer's return to Mississippi is for Hancock County to obtain a Governor's Warrant.
Rachel Ring of Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood's Office said Friday that once a governor's warrant is obtained, there is no bond.
Adam said he was "surprised and disappointed" that Ulmer was released and hopes that he does not go on the lam again.
"We were planning to go and get this guy," Adam said. "We will be putting him back on NCIC (National Criminal Information Center) and try to get him back in custody," Adam said. "This is a dangerous person and he has the track record to prove it."
