Via American Action News:
A candidate in the Democrat primary for U.S Congress in Rhode Island has been arrested in Ohio and charged with drug possession and stalking.
Michael Neary, 28 years old and running in the Sept. 13 Democrat primary to succeed retiring Democrat Congressman Jim Langevin, was arrested in Elizabeth Township, Ohio after chasing a couple in his car for nearly 60 miles, WPRI reports.
The couple called 911 early on morning of Mar. 23 to report a car chasing them and flashing his headlights after leaving the Columbus, Ohio airport.
Police caught up to Neary in Troy, Ohio at 2:30 a.m. and pulled him over. They found marijuana, a ceramic smoking pipe and a half-empty bottle of whisky.
Neary was charged with menacing by stalking, possession of marijuana and marijuana drug paraphernalia, and released on bail.
WPRI reports Neary gave conflicting stories to arresting officers why he was chasing the couple, and neither Neary or his alleged victims knew each other. Police say Neary initially claimed he thought he recognized them, then later said “I don’t know these people either, I was just stressed and tired and focusing on their license plate.”
He told officers had been visiting Rhode Island where he was “running for a political position” but drove back to Ohio to “clear his head” after getting into an argument with his parents.
Neary grew up in Rhode Island, but moved to Ohio to work Governor John Kasich’s 2016 presidential campaign and gave officers a Columbus, Ohio apartment as his residence.
While running for Congress Neary has told reporters he moved back to Rhode Island full-time and was living with his parents.
“My parents live in the same house still, so I’ve always been a Rhode Islander no matter where I’ve lived,” Neary told WPRI earlier in March. “A lot of people move from Washington to move back home to run for office. I like to say at least I’m moving back home from another state and not necessarily from Washington.”
“Neary is due back in court in Ohio on April 21 for a pre-trial conference hearing,” WPRI reports.
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