AUBURN – A Lewiston man accused of breaking into the home of an elderly couple and stealing $2,000 worth of jewelry was ordered Friday to remain in jail on $7,500 cash bail or $15,000 in property.

Dennis Austin, 35, pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery, burglary and theft in connection with an Aug. 25 home invasion on Stevens Street.

Austin’s wife, Tracy Matthews, who was charged with hindering apprehension for allegedly hiding Austin from police, also pleaded not guilty Friday.

She was released on the condition that she would be fined $5,000 if she didn’t show up for her next court appearance.

Police say Austin broke into the home of Rene and Angeline Bosse with hopes of getting some quick money to finance a trip out of state and buy a Mercedes Benz.

The Bosses, both 73, escaped their home by jumping from a window after Austin allegedly aimed a revolver at them and threatened to blow off their heads.

The couple was not hurt when they jumped 8 feet to the ground.

A few days after the incident, police tracked Austin and his wife to Brunswick and arrested them. Matthews, 23, is accused of helping to harbor or conceal her husband, knowing the police were looking for him.

According to court testimony, Austin, a father of two young children, has a criminal record including a burglary conviction, and Matthews has no criminal record.

Other cases

Austin and his wife were two of several suspects arraigned Friday in Androscoggin County Superior Court. Below are the dispositions of other cases that the Sun Journal has been following.

• Michael Johnson, the former youth basketball coach facing a long list of allegations involving sexual abuse of young girls, pleaded not guilty to the most recent charges pressed against him.

Johnson, 38, of 650 Empire Road, Poland, faces a total of 38 felony charges.

Justice Thomas E. Delahanty II allowed him to remain free on the $5,000 cash bail that he posted after a previous appearance in court. According to the prosecutor handling his case, police do not plan on pressing any more charges against Johnson.

Once a volunteer coach at the YMCA in Auburn, Johnson has been accused of giving young girls alcohol and drugs, then sexually abusing them. He also faces charges of possessing and disseminating child pornography on the Internet.

Conditions of Johnson’s bail include having no contact with children under 18 and having no access to a computer or the Internet.

• A local fraternal group charged with collecting cash from video gambling machines has maintained its innocence.

Representatives for the Lewiston Eagles Aerie 618 pleaded not guilty to seven counts of unlawful gambling.

Police say the group had two video gambling machines at its Sabattus Street building, from which it allowed members to accept cash winnings. According to police, the machines are not illegal, but using them to award cash prizes is.

If convicted of the gambling charges, the Eagles could face fines and they could lose their right to operate games of chance.

At least one of the group’s officers must appear at the next court date or the group will be fined $5,000.

• Three Lewiston men pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault in connection with the Aug. 20 beating of another man.

Mohamed Jama Abdalla, 21, Hubert Brooks, 19, and Hamdi S. Naji, 18, are accused of beating a 26-year-old man with a piece of a metal bed frame.

The cause of the early-morning melee on Knox Street remains unknown.

Abdalla’s bail was set at $7,500 cash or $15,000 in property; Brooks’ at $2,500 cash or $10,000 in property; and Naji’s at $5,000 cash or $15,000 in property.

None of the men has lived in the area for more than three years, according to their lawyers. A recent graduate of Lewiston High School, Naji was working at Tambrands and trying to get into college, his lawyer said.

Brooks was working at Wal-Mart, and Abdalla was looking for a job at the time of his arrest, according to their lawyers.

• A man accused of shooting at a downtown apartment building on Aug. 5 pleaded innocent Friday.

Brett Griffin, 36, of 6 Stevens Mills Trailer Park in Auburn, is being held on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 in property for allegedly firing several shots at the door knob of 66 Shawmut St.

No one was injured as a result of the shooting. Police have not released a possible motive.

Griffin also has been charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child. According to court testimony, those charges are the result of police finding Griffin’s three children in his home with firearms and little food.