Suspended Somerset DA Thomas gets court permission to work at father's auto garage
May 26—SOMERSET, Pa. — Suspended Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas got a judge's OK on Wednesday to work at his father's Windber auto garage.
That was one of two job possibilities that Thomas' defense attorney, Ryan Tutera, discussed with the court after reporting that Thomas "can't financially fend for himself" or his family, which includes two children.
Thomas' law license and pay have been suspended since late last year, and he is under house arrest and electronic monitoring ahead of trial on allegations that he entered a woman's Windber home in September 2021 and sexually assaulted and strangled her before she was able to flee.
Supreme Court-appointed Cambria County Senior Judge Timothy Creany allowed Thomas to work at the garage on the condition that he avoids certain "exclusion" zones, including the alleged sexual assault victim's residence and her workplace.
Thomas must follow a set route to and from work that avoids the woman's property and her workplace, and he will only be permitted to travel during time periods set by Somerset County's probation office, Creany added.
Having that specific schedule in place, Creany said, will allow Thomas' alleged victim to avoid that corridor during the agreed-upon hours, which were not immediately set during Wednesday's hearing.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Patrick Schulte, who is prosecuting the state's case against Thomas, said he did not oppose the judge's decision, provided that proper safeguards were set and followed by Thomas.
In Pennsylvania, it is common for people serving house arrest to be permitted to continue working, but such arrangements require court approval and probation office oversight to ensure that any concerns are addressed.
Thomas, who is currently facing charges or citations in three separate cases, was earning $185,000 a year as the county's top prosecutor before a Supreme Court-ordered suspension of his license was issued in late November. Somerset County Salary Board members voted Dec. 1 to suspend his pay.
Thomas has been on house arrest since Creany revoked his bond on April 29 for reasons including allegations that he struck a prosecution witness' vehicle and taunted him in late March. He has been permitted to stay at his parents' Windber residence on electronic and alcohol monitoring.
A web advertisement promotes the Thomas family's 12th Street garage as a Monday-through-Friday shop that offers brake repair, towing, inspections and other automotive work.
Schulte and Tutera initially told the judge that they discussed the possibility of Thomas pursuing a job with Verizon Wireless. But Creany said he was uneasy about that option, as it would place Thomas in a busy retail setting with "much more" community contact and interaction compared to a "contained" auto garage with his father.
Thomas, who has pleaded not guilty to the accusations against him, is currently awaiting a September trial in Somerset County court stemming from the sexual assault allegations. He also faces a June 22 hearing over the alleged late-March pursuit incident in Windber.
