ASHLAND — A Morrow County man involved in a five-county chase that ended just outside Loudonville earlier this week pleaded not guilty through his court-appointed attorney Friday.
Joshua Boucher, 43, faces a third-degree felony charge of failing to comply with an order or signal from law enforcement.
Authorities say he was wanted in connection with a shooting in Morrow County on Monday and later a stolen truck in Ashland County.
In addition, he is accused of leading law enforcement on a five-county, high-speed chase that pushed multiple area school districts, including Clear Fork and Loudonville, into lockdown.
Other charges are forthcoming, prosecutors have said.
Magistrate Paul Lange set his bail at $1 million on Wednesday, during a hearing where Boucher said it was all “a misunderstanding.”
Lange determined he wasn’t eligible for a court-appointed lawyer at the time.
On Friday, however, attorney Don Wick said his client hasn’t been gainfully employed and rather relies on flipping properties. He hasn’t had steady income for at least 90 days, Boucher said.
He also does not own assets that can be sold or liquidated. Lange appointed Wick, but warned Boucher he’d have to reimburse the court if it’s later found that he could afford to hire an attorney.
A preliminary hearing is slated for 1 p.m. on April 10.
What happened?
Authorities have said Boucher fled following a shooting in Morrow County. No other details have been made available on the shooting, and charges have not been filed related to it either.
Boucher was arrested Monday after deputies found him hiding in a crawl space of an unoccupied home in Loudonville. Authorities say he evaded capture after fleeing through Morrow, Richland, Ashland, Knox and Holmes counties.
In Ashland, on State Route 89, Boucher crashed into an ODOT truck. When three men in a pick-up tried to help, Boucher stole their truck and drove away, reaching speeds of 100 mph, according to Michael Donatini, an attorney at the Ashland County Prosecutor’s Office.
The chase ended briefly when an Ashland County Sheriff’s deputy rammed his vehicle into the stolen truck Boucher was allegedly driving. Donatini said the deputy possibly broke his ankle in the collision.
From there, Boucher fled on foot before hiding in the unoccupied house.
Loudonville and Clear Fork school districts were both placed in lockdown during the pursuit on Monday.