Authorities said today that an Exton man committed numerous crimes when he pulled a gun on a Realtor visiting his property - an incident that led to the discovery of counterfeit money in his possession.
Jason Geist, 26, might have reacted stupidly, his attorney argued, but at the time it seemed the only way to get an overzealous agent to leave.
As for the phony money, Geist had no plans to use it, attorney Samuel C. Stretton said. Geist recently had inherited a printer and did some copying to show friends, Stretton said.
District Judge Larry Smith heard conflicting versions of the Jan. 29 exchange between Geist and Mark Boudrie, an agent for Keller Williams' Exton office, before holding Geist for trial on charges that included aggravated assault and forgery.
The judge dismissed a charge of criminal use of a communications facility - in this case, the printer.
Questioned by Jeffrey Gillman, the prosecutor, Boudrie testified that he had gone to Geist's home on Valley View Drive about 2 p.m. because he had talked to Geist's mother about selling the property and wanted to drop off materials.
He said that after knocking on two doors, he started to depart when Geist appeared, rebuffed his introduction, and ordered him to leave, which he did. As he was backing up his vehicle on the driveway, Boudrie testified, he turned and saw Geist pointing a gun at him.
Under questioning by Stretton, Boudrie said that he had not been invited to the house and that he had told Geist he would "remember him" when Geist repeatedly refused to give the handouts to his mother.
"I was very nervous and very scared," Boudrie testified, adding that he immediately called 911.
West Whiteland Detective Scott Pezick testified that he had initiated a traffic stop of Geist after police interviewed Boudrie, and that he found nearly $600 in what appeared to be counterfeit money mixed in with legitimate cash in Geist's possession.
Pezick testified that Geist was cooperative and said he had pulled out an unloaded gun after Boudrie refused to leave and told him, "Remember this."
Geist, who has been incarcerated since his arrest, was released today after Smith lowered his bail from $50,000 cash to 10 percent of $30,000.
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