“Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law”  *** MEDIA ADVISORY ***                                         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FORMER BONDSMAN ARRESTED FOR TWO COUNTS OF CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT AGGRAVATED BATTERY MEDIA CONTACT:  Prosecutor Curtis T. Hill Jr.  296-1888 On Monday, March 10, 2008 investigators with the Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney's Office completed an investigation with the arrest of Bart Dewald, age 49, 1319 Douglas St., Goshen, Indiana. Dewald was booked into the Elkhart County Jail on suspicion of Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Battery.  Dewald was arrested in the parking lot of a retail business in the 3400 blk of S. Main St in Elkhart at approximately 3:00pm. Prosecutor’s investigators had learned that Dewald had allegedly contracted to hire people to commit aggravated battery on two individuals.      One of the individuals that were targeted is a witness in a pending criminal case involving Dewald. The second person targeted is a Deputy Prosecutor with the Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney's Office. It is alleged that Dewald paid cash in a deal that called for the targeted individuals to be severely beaten to the extent that hospitalization would be required.  Assisting in the investigation were officers from the Elkhart County I.C.E. unit. Dewald was on bond at the time of this alleged offense and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20th as a result of his February 21, 2008 conviction by an Elkhart Superior Court III jury on two counts of Criminal Confinement, both Class D Felonies.  Dewald also is facing criminal charges alleging Criminal Confinement, Intimidation, Pointing a Loaded Firearm and Criminal Recklessness with a Vehicle, stemming from an October of 2007 incident. Those charges are also pending in Sup III.  At a Probable Cause Hearing held on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Dewald’s bond was set at $3,000,000 million dollars. Formal charges of two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Battery, both Class B Felonies are expected to be filed on Thursday, the 13th. Class B Felonies carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.