$75M bond for Ohio man accused of poisoning wife

CLEVELAND (AP) - An Ohio doctor who was extradited from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus to face charges that he poisoned his wife has been held on a $75 million bond.

A Cleveland judge said Wednesday that the bond was warranted because Yazeed Essa was an obvious flight risk.

The 40-year-old Essa has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder in the 2005 death of his wife. He was returned to Ohio last week.

A coroner determined Rosemarie Essa lost consciousness and crashed while driving after being given a cyanide pill. Yazeed Essa was arrested in 2006 in Cyprus.

Essa's lawyer says his Arab-American client fled because he believed he wouldn't get a fair trial.

Essa faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years if convicted.