REALITY TV
TV
MOVIES
MUSIC
CELEBRITY
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Accuracy & Fairness Corrections & Clarifications Ethics Code Your Ad Choices
© MEAWW All rights reserved
MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CRIME & JUSTICE

How celeb-funded The Bail Project ended up being sued into closure after murder most foul

The project announced earlier this month that it was suspending its Las Vegas chapter due to the case of Rashawn Gaston-Anderson, 24
UPDATED DEC 26, 2022
Richard Branson and Danny Glover are among the funders of The Bail project that released Rashawn Gaston-Anderson, 24 (Astrid Stawiarz and Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images and Las Vegas MPD)
Richard Branson and Danny Glover are among the funders of The Bail project that released Rashawn Gaston-Anderson, 24 (Astrid Stawiarz and Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images and Las Vegas MPD)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: A celebrity-funded bail project has ceased operations after being sued for releasing a serial felon who attempted to murder an Asian waiter just six days after his release. The Bail project was funded by renowned celebrities including Richard Branson, Danny Glover, and John Legend. The Project announced earlier this month that it was suspending its Las Vegas chapter due to the case of Rashawn Gaston-Anderson, 24.

Gaston-Anderson was detained in November 2021 for burglary and stealing but was released after The Bail Project funded his $3,000 bail set by Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Amy Chelini. Just six days after his parole, he went to Shanghai Taste restaurant, where he opened fire on an Asian waiter named Chengyan Wang. He fired 11 bullets but Wang miraculously survived and underwent rehabilitation for his injuries. The waiter told Las Vegas' News 3 in March that he was struck seven times, adding the bullets left him with punctured lungs and stomach. "I can still vividly remember when the first police officer on the scene immediately helped me stop the bleeding on my neck, and helped me put pressure on other ones," Wang told the outlet.

ALSO READ

Teenage boy who raped school girl for 2 hours RELEASED on bail just a day after receiving two-month sentence

Savannah Daisley: Heiress, 45, accused of having sex with teen boy gets bail terms further relaxed

Wang filed a lawsuit against Gaston-Anderson, the shopping plaza where the near-fatal shooting occurred, and The Bail Project in September. The lawsuit refers to Gaston-Anderson’s criminal history and how The Bail Project posted his bond nevertheless. In the lawsuit, Wang's attorneys say The Bail Project used "no due diligence in determining whether Rashawn Gaston-Anderson would be a danger to the community and likely re-offend." The Bail Project discontinued operations in Las Vegas in early December due to restructuring, according to the group.

The Bail Project National Revolving Bail Fund was launched in 2017 as the first national revolving bail fund in the US. It originally grew out of The Bronx Freedom Fund, New York City’s first community bail fund, which launched in 2007. The non-profit works to provide free bail assistance and pretrial support to low-income defendants. As per the official website, the group has released 51 individuals in Las Vegas since February 2021. The supporters of the group said the bail system perpetuates a two-tiered judicial system, that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and that it is unfair for a poor person to remain incarcerated while affluent offenders are released. But critics argue it lets dangerous criminals back onto the streets - and can even embolden them to re-offend.

Commenting on the attack on Wang, Cameron Pipe, regional director of the West for The Bail Project, said in January that the incident is "shocking" and a "tragedy." "It's an absolute tragedy and The Bail Project, myself speaking for The Bail Project, found it absolutely shocking," Pipe said. Earlier this year, 8News also asked Pipe how a decision like the one made in regard to releasing Gaston-Anderson could be made. "Every single decision that we make at The Bail Project goes through the exact same thorough review," Pipe said at the time.

Earlier this year, Katie Poor, deputy general counsel for The Bail Project, also doubled down on the organization's mission to free those they presume are innocent until proven guilty and said they try to fulfill their clients' self-identified needs. "We provide free bail assistance and what we call community release with support which includes rides to and from the court, court notifications and we attempt to navigate services in the community based on our clients' self-identified needs," Poor said, according to DailyMail.

However, Gaston-Anderson previously stated that the Bail Project did not offer him any services for his mental health issues after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Poor told 8News in December she couldn't comment on any other aspects of the man's case due to pending litigation.

Manny and Lilia Ceballos, who run Aztec Bail Bonds, questioned The Bail Project’s intentions. “I don’t think they care and truly don’t care because some man nearly lost his life,” Lilia Ceballos said. She and her husband said they adhere to guidelines. “We pick and choose who we want to do business with. We just don’t bail out habitual problem cases,” Manny Ceballos told 8News.

POPULAR ON MEAWW
MORE ON MEAWW