YOUNGSTOWN — Jules L. Freeman, 21, of New Philadelphia, waived a preliminary hearing Monday in Youngstown Municipal Court on complicity to murder, and his case was bound over to a Mahoning County grand jury.

The charge carries a possible prison sentence of 15 years to life in prison if convicted.

Freeman was released from the Mahoning County jail Feb. 1 after posting a $275,000 bond. He is on electronically monitored house arrest, according to Youngstown Municipal Court records.

Freeman is charged in the Jan. 22 shooting death of Allen P. May, 23, on Evergreen Avenue near Erie Street on the South Side.

A Youngstown police news release stated that after investigating the case throughout the day and evening of Jan. 22, police were able to retrieve evidence and served a search warrant in New Philadelphia, in cooperation with the New Philadelphia Police Department.

After considering the evidence, the Youngstown Prosecutor’s Office filed the charge against Freeman Jan.30.

Freeman and his attorney appeared in Youngstown Municipal Court on Jan. 31 to answer to the warrant, and Freeman was booked into the Mahoning County jail.

Freeman was charged with felony drug possession in New Philadelphia Municipal Court Jan. 25, for a Jan. 23 offense, according to court records.

He also had a preliminary hearing in that case Jan. 31 in New Philadelphia Municipal Court, and the drug charge was bound over to Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court. His attorney is Ed Hartwig of Youngstown.

The Youngstown Police Department reported the day of the shooting that the department was made aware of May arriving at the hospital at 1:12 p.m. in a personal vehicle. He was pronounced dead later.

An officer responded to the hospital and found a vehicle near the entrance to the emergency room and blood on the ground, a police report stated.

Officers determined that a “possible scene” for the shooting was East Evergreen Avenue at Erie Street. Officers “located” that scene and contacted detectives and crime scene personnel to investigate.

It was the first homicide of the year in the city.

erunyan@vindy.com