Bail Refused for Former Husband of Aissa Wayne

A judge Friday ordered Pomona physician Thomas A. Gionis held without bail pending his criminal trial for allegedly ordering an attack on his ex-wife, Aissa Wayne, and her boyfriend, millionaire financier Roger Luby.

Harbor Municipal Judge Russell A. Bostrom ruled that Gionis, 35, an orthopedic surgeon, poses a danger of flight and a threat to Wayne, 32, daughter of the late actor John Wayne, if released.

Prosecutors had shown in a lengthy bail hearing Thursday that numerous overseas telephone calls had been made from Gionis’ home to Greece, where he has friends and family. Last month, Gionis had also obtained a passport for his 2-year-old daughter, Anastasia, who is the subject of a bitter custody battle that police contend led to the attack on Wayne last fall.

‘Extremely Serious Risk’

“It’s hard not to consider that this client is an extremely serious risk to flee this jurisdiction,” Bostrom said.

Gionis’ attorney, Byron K. McMillan, said he will appeal the bail decision to the 4th District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana on Monday. Gionis, meanwhile, was transferred Friday from the Newport City Jail to the Orange County Jail to await a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 17.

Two other men are also in the Orange County Jail under $1-million bonds each on charges of carrying out the Oct. 3 attack at Luby’s Newport Beach home.

The suspects, Jerrel L. Hintergardt, 37, of Burbank and Jeffrey Kendall Bouey, 35, of Simi Valley also appeared in Harbor Municipal Court on Friday for arraignments. Hintergardt entered a not guilty plea, while Bouey elected to postpone his arraignment until May 19. Bostrom ordered bail for both men to stand at $1 million each, as prosecutors allege that they, too, pose a substantial escape risk.

Warrant Issued

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Century City private investigator, O. Daniel Gal, who worked on behalf of Gionis in the custody case and who police say hired Hintergardt to make the attack. Hintergardt once worked for Gal’s investigation agency, police said.

Gal, who was interviewed by Newport Beach police after the attack, is believed to have fled to Europe. Newport police said Interpol, the international police agency headquartered in Paris, is trying to locate Gal for arrest and extradition.