Youth wrestling coach charged with rape, lying

A youth wrestling coach was arraigned Tuesday on felony charges alleging he faked an illness to get money and that he molested a 13-year-old boy.

Zachary Phillip Jones, 21, who coached Howell Hurricanes youth wrestling team, returns to 53rd District Court on Nov. 17 for a probable cause conference on charges of identity theft and false pretenses of $1,000 but less than $20,000 for allegedly lying about having leukemia in order to get money.

In a separate case, Jones is charged with multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct for allegedly molesting the teen at a home in Howell.

Bond was set at $2 million in the CSC case and at $100,000 for the identity theft case.

Jones, who fidgeted during his video arraignment, said little except to answer "yes, sir" when Magistrate Jerry Sherwood asked if he understood the allegations. He also requested a court-appointed attorney, but that assignment was not made as of 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Howell Police Detective Don Banfield told the magistrate that as a result of Jones’ alleged lie, community members set up “multiple fund-raisers” to assist Jones, who also created a fraudulent doctor’s note purporting to confirm the leukemia diagnosis when people became suspicious of his claims.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Pamela Maas said Jones had a family member “portray a doctor” in an effort to continue perpetuating his fraud on the community members trying to help him.

“Zach was called in for an interview,” Banfield said. “During the interview, it was discovered Mr. Jones did not have leukemia and was never diagnosed with leukemia.”

Maas said Jones possibly received between $200 and $300 from the fund-raisers while more than $1,000 had been donated. The remaining funds did not make it to Jones’ account, she noted.

At least one fund-raising effort had a Facebook page indicating that “Zachary Jones is a young man that has changed many …” The rest of the message is no longer visible as the Facebook page has since been deleted.

A woman listed as a contact for that Facebook page declined to comment.

In a separate case, Jones was arraigned on three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of second-degree CSC for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old boy between June and September.

Maas told the court that Jones gave the teenager alcohol and chewing tobacco as he tried to “break down the child’s defenses, which allowed him to engage in this sexual contact.”

The contact allegedly included penetration and the “multiple acts” occurred at a home in Howell, Banfield said.

Jones, who is lodged in the Livingston County Jail, faces up to life in prison if he is convicted as charged.

Contact Livingston Daily justice reporter Lisa Roose-Church at 517-552-2846 or lrchurch@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @LisaRooseChurch.