APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) - County officials in Appleton are starting to spend $671,000 from a cash bond posted by a criminal suspect who vanished four years ago.

Manish Patel was charged with spiking his girlfriend’s drink with a “morning after” abortion pill to try and force a miscarriage.

He was suspected of traveling to his native India after he posted a $750,000 bond in 2008. About $79,000 from that bond was later given to the victim and three others who made claims.

The other $671,000 went to Outagamie County. And according to the Appleton Post-Crescent, the County Board decided to use some of the money to create a specialist for its Volunteer in Offender Services’ program. That program finds alternatives to incarceration for jail inmates.

Supervisor Jim Duncan says the Patel money provides seed money for jail diversionary efforts – and the results of those programs are closely monitored to see how they’re working.

About a quarter-million dollars of the bond was set aside by the district attorney’s office to extradite Patel and prosecute his case if he ever turns up.