A federal judge Friday granted a man accused of lying on passport applications for his 21⁄2-year-old daughter for a trip to Mexico release on bond but said he did so reluctantly.
Federal prosecutors had charged Gregory Scher on Wednesday with three counts of making false statements in passport applications for his daughter.
In documents submitted in support of the charges, authorities said Scher stated on one application, "The child’s mother is no longer around and not available to sign the minor’s passport application," when he submitted it at the Mililani post office.
Authorities said he sent another application to U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa on April 1 asking for her help. On that application, authorities say Scher wrote, "The child’s mother abandoned us," and "I have done a nationwide search for the birth mother’s name and social security number without results."
When Hanabusa’s office told Scher his explanation was not adequate, he sent another application April 3 in which he stated, "The child’s mother abandoned us on January 16, 2013," and "My search for the mother is ongoing."
Jan. 16 is when Honolulu police arrested Scher on a charge of abuse of a family or household member. The alleged victim is the girl’s mother.
When authorities located the girl’s mother on the mainland, she told them she left Hawaii with her daughter following Scher’s arrest. She said she later agreed with Scher that their daughter would spend three months with each parent until a formal agreement is made. She said Scher picked up their daughter in Missouri on Feb. 24.
She told authorities she was not aware that Scher was planning to take their daughter to Mexico.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin S.C. Chang agreed to grant Scher release on $25,000 unsecured signature bond into a sponsor’s custody on electronically monitored home detention. He also prohibited Scher from contacting his daughter’s mother.
Chang said his reluctance to do so was based on Scher’s lengthy criminal history on the mainland as well as the activity that led to his latest arrest. It happened while he was free on bond in his state abuse case, in which he was prohibited from leaving Hawaii.
