Man who broke into A.C. City Hall arrested again and released

An Atlantic City man accused of defecating inside a City Hall office last year was released from jail after a second arrest since then.

Sherif Ramadan, now 40, had 26 pending court matters when he was arrested inside the building Oct. 2.

He pleaded guilty to burglary in December, and was released pending a sentence that would have put him on probation.

Ramadan was briefly back in jail in May, after he was found sleeping on the Boardwalk on Tennessee Avenue, and gave police a fake name. That case was sent to municipal court and Ramadan was released.

But he was back in jail Sunday, after a woman allegedly found him searching the inside of her car inside Resorts' parking garage.

Security captured him after he ran, and found him with some of the victim's belongings, including a wallet, according to the charges read at his detention hearing Wednesday.

Assistant Prosecutor Erin Curtiss said his repeated arrests while on release and a failure to appear to court in April show he is a risk both to public safety and of failure to appear.

She asked the the judge follow the public safety assessment, which recommended Ramadan be detained.

But it was the recommendation of pretrial services that has been dealing with Ramadan the caused the judge not only to release Ramadan, but lessen the requirements under his release.

That is because Ramadan has been in the At-Risk Initiative, or ARI, which matches defendants who have issues such as mental health, homelessness and addiction with the resources they are lacking.

"I'm very familiar with Mr. Ramadan and his efforts to achieve lifestyle stability," Judge Jeffrey Wilson said, noting that he previously worked in the ARI.

The program has Ramadan working with Jewish Family Services and Volunteers of America.

Defense attorney Sarah Weinstock also said Ramadan was in the middle of an evaluation for admission to John Brooks Recovery Center.

Pretrial intervention recommended Ramadan be released despite missing 10 of his 15 appointments, the judge said.

The team also suggested his oversight be lessened for all cases from Level 3 — near the highest — to the lowest at Level 1.

The argument was that ARI provides more oversight.

The judge agreed.

"I have never taken somebody from a Level 3 to a Level 1 ever," Wilson said. "I don’t know if any other judge ever has anywhere in this state.

"It’s because of pretrial services stepping in with this recommendation that the court is doing what I’m doing now," he added.

Wilson stressed to Ramadan that he needs to show up.

"Make sure everyone knows where you are and how to be reached at all times," he said. "You are wrapped in some amazing services. But we can’t service you if you aren’t around."

The judge also banned Ramadan from all casinos and their properties.

"That’s their parking lots, restrooms, lobbies, restaurants, entertainment venues," Wilson clarified. "There’s no reason for you to go into any casino for any reason at all."

Ramadan is scheduled to be sentenced on his prior plea July 29.