Judge cuts bail to $400,000 for Hope for Prisoners founder Jon Ponder as prosecutor outlines sexual assault charges

What happened

On Wednesday a judge reduced bail for Jon Ponder, founder of the prison reentry program Hope for Prisoners, from $1 million to $400,000, the Nevada Current reported. The bail is cash only, so Ponder cannot post a percentage of it through a bail bond. He was still in custody as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the Current.

Ponder is charged in a 26-count indictment that includes four counts of sexual assault, each of which carries a life term. He pleaded not guilty. The Current reported that the charges involve seven alleged victims and cover 11 years, from 2015 to 2026. More court coverage is on our public safety page.

Inside the bail hearing

What the prosecutor argued

Clark County Deputy District Attorney Michelle Fleck asked Judge Ron Israel to keep the $1 million bail or raise it. She alleged that Ponder used his role at Hope for Prisoners to win the trust of public officials and to gain access to women. "The stark reality is that Jon Ponder is a prolific sexual predator," Fleck said, according to the Current.

Fleck told the court that police found methamphetamine and paraphernalia when they searched Ponder's home. She also said a "go bag" was found there when he was arrested. She alleged that the women were all mothers and that Ponder used their children and families as leverage. These are the prosecution's allegations and have not been proven in court.

What the defense argued

Defense attorney Robert Draskovich argued for lower bail. He noted that Ponder originally faced 19 counts, including one count of sexual assault, and had been released on $200,000 bail at that stage. Draskovich said the investigation began in March and that Ponder hired a defense lawyer early because he expected to be arrested. "He is going to fight this case," Draskovich said, pointing to supporters in the courtroom.

How bail has changed

According to the Current, Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum released Ponder to house arrest on $200,000 bail in August. After his indictment on Sept. 30, he was arrested and held on $1 million bail set by Judge Carli Kierney. Before setting the new $400,000 amount, Israel described the charges as "some of the most serious I've seen."

Questions about public officials

The 2020 board decision

In August the Current reported that the Hope for Prisoners board was advised in 2020 to fire Ponder. The advice followed an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations raised by program participants and employees. The board, which then included Undersheriff Kevin McMahill and District Attorney Steve Wolfson, did not fire him. That decision came after President Donald Trump pardoned Ponder, a three-time bank robber, at the 2020 Republican National Convention.

According to the Current, Wolfson appeared in campaign ads with Ponder. Wolfson also launched a diversion program that let non-violent felons avoid prison by completing Ponder's program.

Access inside state corrections

Fleck alleged that Ponder had unusual access to women at Jean Conservation Camp, a minimum custody camp for women offenders. She said he also reached women at Casa Grande, a Las Vegas halfway house run by the Nevada Department of Corrections. She alleged he used church services at the Jean camp to target women. The Current reported that grand jury testimony indicates Ponder used Hope for Prisoners Christmas parties, which reunited women with their children, to seek sexual favors.

The governor's response

Gov. Joe Lombardo was sheriff at the time and partnered with Ponder and Hope for Prisoners. He will not say whether Metro police conducted its own investigation of the allegations, the Current reported. The Nevada Department of Corrections denied the Current's request for correspondence between the department and Lombardo's office, citing the possibility that the records could be used as evidence.

What to watch next

• A status check is scheduled for mid-November, when a trial date is expected to be set.
• Whether Ponder posts the $400,000 cash bail. He remained in custody as of Wednesday afternoon.
• The Department of Corrections' denial of the Current's request for correspondence with Lombardo's office.