Hearing rescheduled, then cancelled for former city IT employee in harassment case

Published 3:10 pm Wednesday, August 5, 2026

QUINCY — The former Quincy employee facing felony charges over digital harassment had court hearings pushed back on Wednesday.

Thomas T. Pugh, 36, was set for a hearing on a motion for his defense to receive funds to hire an expert witness. It was originally slated for 8:45 a.m. in front of Judge Tad Brenner. Due to confusion over the scheduling, defense attorney Kevin Bross asked to delay the hearing, leading Brenner to reset the schedule for 2 p.m. Wednesday.

While the court’s online records reflect that hearing on the schedule, courthouse officials confirmed Wednesday that the hearing was canceled, but no additional information was provided as to the reason.

Pugh is facing charges stemming from his time as an employee in the information technology department for the City of Quincy. At the time, Ald. Jack Holtschlag, D-7, was receiving harassing messages and calls from Benjamin Inman, both at regular council meetings and outside of business hours.

According to court records, Pugh is alleged to have sent threats and harassment by text message to Inman. Pugh was charged with official misconduct, a Class 3 felony, two separate counts of cyberstalking, Class 4 felonies, and two counts of electronic harassment, Class B misdemeanors.

Originally placed on administrative leave, Pugh was later terminated from his job with the city.

The charges against Pugh come from a search of Inman’s phone, which he submitted to Quincy Police investigators to show the origins of the messages. The investigation was going on while Inman was facing his own charges for his harassment of Holtschlag.

Inman pleaded guilty to threatening a public official and was sentenced to 30 months’ probation on Jan. 6 of this year. He was arrested the following day on four new, separate charges of possession of child pornography that investigators found stored on his phone while reviewing information related to Pugh’s messages.

In court for an initial hearing on the child pornography charges, Inman claimed that the illicit images were placed on his phone by officials from the city. Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck said at that time there was no indication of outside access to his phone. Inman has remained in custody at the Adams County Jail since his arrest in January.

Pugh is currently set to go to trial on the court’s September docket. As of Wednesday afternoon, the final pretrial hearing in the case is slated for Aug. 21. Inman has indicated that he will enter a plea agreement in the child pornography case. That hearing is set for Aug. 14.