Prichard Officer Seeks Bail Denial Amid Rape and Fraud Charges
Prosecutors argue Albert McCreary is an extreme flight risk due to his federal gun plea and state charges.
By Amit Chukwu ·
Albert McCreary stood before the Mobile County court on Wednesday as prosecutors argued he should remain behind bars. The 55-year-old Prichard code enforcement officer and Mobile County constable faces a first-degree rape charge, along with insurance fraud, possession of a forged instrument, and perjury. Assistant District Attorney Stuart Lang filed a motion to deny bail under Aniah’s Law, a statute that grants judges wider discretion to keep violent felons in custody.
The core of the state’s case centers on an incident on July 9. Prosecutors allege McCreary told a woman he was Detective Black with the Prichard Police Department. According to the filing, he then forcibly raped her inside a municipal vehicle. The victim reported the assault to the FBI on July 20. Lang characterized McCreary as an extreme flight risk, noting the Class A felony charge carries a potential life sentence if he is convicted as charged.
McCreary’s legal troubles extend beyond the state charges. He pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted to owning a gun despite a 2009 felony battery conviction in Florida’s Escambia County, which legally barred him from possessing firearms. His federal sentencing is scheduled for January, where he faces possible imprisonment.
The timeline of his detention has been fluid. A federal magistrate judge agreed to release him from jail on Thursday. However, local law enforcement officers arrested him the same day. District Judge Zackery Moore ordered McCreary to stay in custody until Monday’s hearing. McCreary pleaded not guilty to the state charges on Tuesday. His attorney, Eric Roberts, told FOX10 News that he had not yet had the opportunity to review the case in depth.
The insurance fraud and perjury charges arise from McCreary’s application for a bond required of constables. Allegations state he lied about his address and other details in that process. A spokeswoman for the city of Prichard did not immediately respond to questions about McCreary’s current employment status with the code enforcement office.
