More charges in shots fired at Metra train

A man who a federal prosecutor said wanted to have his railroad employee girlfriend killed was charged Monday in two incidents in which gunshots were fired at a Chicago-area commuter train.

Theodore Howard, 48, of Chicago appeared briefly before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan following his arrest Sunday night and was ordered held in custody pending a bond hearing later.

Prosecutors unsealed a fresh indictment charging Howard and another man, Telly Virgin, 31, in the two shooting incidents which took place in June 2007.

Virgin was already charged in the case a year ago. The fresh indictment added Howard's name to the federal charges of illegally discharging a firearm and interfering with the engineer of a train.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Veatch told Nolan the government wanted Howard kept behind bars because the charges entailed "the hiring of the co-defendant to kill his ex-wife or ex-girlfriend." While Veatch made the comment on the record in court, the allegation about killing the woman was not in the indictment.

Veatch offered no further details.

Defense attorney Steven R. Hunter said that he was just hearing about the case but added that "based on my brief conversation with my client it is clear that he intends to dispute the charges and assert his innocence."

He said he understood that Howard and the woman alleged to be the intended victim had a long relationship but had never been married.

Nolan ordered Howard held in custody pending a hearing scheduled for Tuesday before U.S. District Judge James B. Moran.

At a hearing last year, federal officials said witnesses saw Virgin wielding the gun used to shoot at the train.