LEWISTON — A judge set bail ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 cash Monday for three Wilton residents charged with dragging a sleeping man from his bed, holding a knife to his throat, assaulting him and tying him up.

Cherith Andresen, 32, Michael Morse, 39, and Clarence White, 49, appeared in 8th District Court because there was no judge in Franklin County on Monday. Each was charged by Maine State Police on Thanksgiving Day with felony kidnapping and aggravated criminal trespass.

Andresen faces an additional charge of domestic violence assault and Morse an additional charge of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Matulis told the court that White, Morse and Andresen entered the man’s mobile home and pulled him from his bed while he was sleeping,  held a knife to his throat and tied him up with zip ties.

He asked for $10,000 cash bail along with conditions.

Matulis and White’s attorney, Richard Charest, agreed that White had no prior criminal history.

Charest said that White had been in Maine all of his life and owns a camper and no real estate. White disputes the allegations, he said.

He asked that White be released on a Maine pretrial service agreement. He is willing to meet any conditions set, Charest said.

Matulis objected to a pretrial agreement, saying the charges were serious.

Judge Rick Lawrence set White’s bail at $5,000 cash and a pretrial service agreement or $10,000 cash bail.

Assistant District Attorney Patricia Redan asked the court to set Andresen’s bail at $10,000 cash and to have no contact with the victim and co-defendants. The no contact provision was ordered for all co-defendants.

She said Andresen has convictions, including theft in 2001 and 2005 and assault in 2006.

Andresen’s attorney, Jim Howaniec, said she was the mother of two children and was in a relationship with the alleged victim, who had a warrant issued for his arrest, Howaniec said.

Andresen lived with Morse and his girlfriend, he said.

There does seem to be more to the story than appears, he said.

She cooperated with police, he said. He asked for Andresen to be released on a pretrial agreement.

Andresen is currently between jobs and is an epileptic, he said. She gets $200 a month in food stamps, Howaniec said, and has no cash or real estate.

Redan objected to release on a service agreement, reiterating the seriousness of the charges.

She read from the affidavit, saying threats were made, including throwing the victim into a car and dropping his body elsewhere.

Andresen wiped tears from her eyes as she stood at the podium in front of Lawrence. The judge set bail at $10,000 cash.

Matulis asked for $10,000 cash bail for Morse and for no pretrial agreement. He said Morse had convictions of violations of protection from abuse orders in the early 1990s. He said the high bail was based on the serious conduct and the risk to public safety.

Morse’s attorney, Adam Sherman, said there have been no convictions since he was a young man. He does not have any family with real estate, he said. He does work for his landlord to help pay the rent and make a little more money, Sherman said.

It appears from the affidavit, Sherman said, that the complainant hesitated to call police because there was a warrant out for his arrest.

The judge set Morse’s bail at $7,500 cash and a pretrial service agreement.

Judge Lawrence told each defendant that a status conference was set for Feb. 25, unless a Franklin County grand jury indicts them prior to that.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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