Intelius co-founder ordered back to court

Intelius co-founder John Kenneth Arnold was ordered released from custody Monday in connection with charges he'd lied to a federal grand jury about having sex with strippers. The expectation was that he would be released once home monitoring could be arranged, likely on Tuesday, according to Emily Langlie, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

But scant hours later, Arnold was ordered to appear back in court Tuesday morning.

Arnold, 47, was called before the grand jury last summer as part of the government's investigation into alleged money-laundering, racketeering and prostitution at Rick's and other clubs tied to Seattle-area strip-club magnate Frank Colacurcio Sr.

He was indicted last fall for making a false statement before the grand jury and arrested on that charge last month. He was released on a recognizance bond late last month on the condition he have no contact with any potential witnesses, according to Langlie.

However, according to testimony Monday, within three days of his release, Arnold tried to send letters through an intermediary to a dancer identified only by the initials E.D. He was arrested after she contacted police.

On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Tsuchida decided — over the objections of the government and federal Pre-Trial Services — to let Arnold out of detention on condition he wear a GPS tracking monitor. He was to be restricted to travel between home, work and church on a preapproved schedule.

A chagrined Arnold admitted to Tsuchida at Monday's hearing that he had, indeed, tried to contact the woman.

Federal prosecutors asked that Arnold be jailed pending trial on the charges, arguing that he had shown no respect for the court's orders and couldn't be trusted.

"The defendant has forced our hand," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg. "There's no other way to interpret this except that Mr. Arnold intended to meet with this witness and influence their testimony."

But the judge ordered Arnold released into the custody of his wife, former deputy King County prosecutor and romance novelist Edwina Martin-Arnold, who was in court Monday and agreed to the arrangement.

In court Monday, Arnold's attorney, Larry Finegold, disputed assertions that his client had been trying to influence the testimony of the witness he'd tried to contact, and he pointed out that Arnold has no prior criminal history.

"This has been a startling, shocking and difficult experience," Finegold said of Arnold's arrest last week and four-day incarceration at the Federal Detention Center in SeaTac.

"He has been tremendously chastened by the experience."

Arnold told the judge that he "stupidly reached out" to a witness. "I now know that was a colossal mistake."

Intelius, a people-search and background-check company sells a smart-phone application aimed at weeding out sleazy dates.

Monday evening, Finegold declined to comment about the newly scheduled hearing.

Arnold faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com