GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY — A magistrate set a $1 million cash bond Wednesday for Isaiah Moger following an incident at Old Mission Elementary School that authorities say left children and staff in terror. Moger faces felony charges and was ordered to undergo GPS house arrest if he is able to post bail.
During the arraignment in the 86th District Court, prosecutors described a scene where the school was placed in lockdown as people feared a potential active shooter situation. Moger, who has no prior criminal record and has lived at the same residence for five years, was assigned various bond conditions including mandatory mental health treatment and a total ban on contact with the school.
Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg emphasized the severity of the incident during the hearing, noting that staff and children were traumatized because they were unaware of the intruder’s intentions. Moeggenberg reported that Moger had been uncooperative while in jail and required restraints at one point, although he appeared more compliant during the court proceedings. “One of his children, the younger one, was at the school when this happened,” Moeggenberg said. “And additionally, as I said, there is going to be an abuse neglect case filed either later on today or tomorrow. That was why the request came for no contact with his children.”
The court appointed defense attorney, Janet Mistele, argued that the bond amount was excessive for a defendant with strong community ties and no history of violence. She suggested that Moger’s behavior was linked to recent changes in his mental health treatment and that he has been counseling. “I think the request for a million dollar bond is way out of bounds,” Mistele said. “If Mr. Moger was a wealthy person and was able to post it, then all of a sudden, apparently, he’s not going to be a risk to the community within the guidelines set by anticipated bond conditions. So to deprive him of that same opportunity, simply because he is poor, I would submit to the court as unconstitutional.”
Mistele told the court that Moger had been denied phone calls to his therapist while in custody and requested a significantly lower bond that included a tether and house arrest. She noted that Moger has shared custody of his children with his ex-wife and argued that the court should not deny him contact with individuals who were not involved in the underlying offense.
The magistrate cited significant concern regarding the allegations, specifically that the incident occurred at an elementary school while children were present. In addition to the cash bond, the court imposed strict restrictions. Moger is prohibited from consuming alcohol, marijuana or non-prescribed medications. He must provide copies of all valid prescriptions to the district court clerk within 48 hours and submit to regular drug testing twice per month.
The bond conditions also prohibit Moger from having any contact, direct or indirect, with staff, students or parents at Old Mission Elementary School. He is barred from entering any school property and may not possess weapons of any kind. The magistrate also ordered that he have no contact with his own children, including phone calls or text messages. If released, Moger will be placed on GPS house arrest supervised by Community Corrections Pre-Trial Services, with release permitted only for medical, court or attorney appointments.
Moger is scheduled for a probable cause conference on Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. A preliminary examination in the case is set for March 3 at 11 a.m. at the district court.