'Grandma, I'm in jail and need bail money' scam targets seniors

In recent weeks, Yavapai Sheriff's deputies took two reports of a telephone fraud targeting seniors. A caller contacts an older person claiming to be his or her grandson and shares a believable story of an involvement in an accident or criminal incident in Canada and subsequent arrest. The "grandson" asks for money to post bail and then puts a person on the line, supposedly a bail bondsman. The bondsman provides the bail amount, usually several thousand dollars, and requests that money be wired using a MoneyGram or Western Union service. In some cases the bogus "bondsman," even calls back to thank the victim.

Both Yavapai County victims were suspicious and did not send any money.

This scam appeals to the emotions the elderly who feel an immediate need to help a desperate family member. Stories range from an accident to a situation in which the "grandson" picked up a couple of hitchhikers found with drugs during a traffic stop.

Many suspects use social networking sites, such as MySpace or Facebook, to identify family members through profiles and photos. A check of online phone directories provides a telephone number and the scam is under way. In some cases, suspects find travel plans and give specific family information that makes the scheme more plausible.

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Bail bondsman finds 'Most Wanted' suspect

A bail bondsman tracked down a man featured last week in "Guilford County's Most Wanted."

Greensboro police said officers arrested Jamaal Mauta Perry shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday at 208 E. Whittington St. Police said a bail bondsman found Perry and called police to help with the arrest.

Perry, 29, of 1619 Lincoln. St., is being held in the Guilford County jail on a $17,000 bond. He has been charged with assault by strangulation and a probation violation.

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"Balloon Boy's" Parents Full of Hot Air

A run-away UFO-shaped balloon. A 6 year-old boy trapped inside. On October 16, the world was captivated as this drama unfolded in front of them, only to find out that the boy was hiding at the house the entire time.

It turns out this was nothing but an elaborate scheme set up by Richard and Mayumi Heene to increase their exposure and be on television. The Heenes are expected to plead guilty to criminal charges on Friday stemming from the incident.

While it is possible that they could face jail time, the prosecutor will recommend probation.

What Happens When You DO Steal Something From a Baby...

Next time someone tells you something is "as easy as stealing candy from a baby," think twice about what the consequences might be. Two women in Pennsylvania who pled guilty to using two Wal-Mart gift cards they found at the store were sentenced to holding signs by the courtyard that said, "I stole from a 9-year-old on her birthday! Don't steal or this could happen to you!"

As it turns out, the gift cards the two women found and used were left on a box by a nine year-old child. Despite the child's name on the cards, the women told the cashier the gift cards belonged to them.

Don't believe us? Read the complete story (with pictures!) here.

World's Worst Disguise

What do you do when you realllllly want to rob a house but don't have time for those pesky details like buying a ski mask? Do what Matthew McNelly and Joey Miller of Iowa did - draw one on!

That's right, draw your disguise ON YOUR FACE with a SHARPIE. Foolproof, right? Well, foolproof until the cops pull you over and immediately recognize you as the two men with "the painted faces" that the witness saw attempt to break into a house.

Don't believe us? Read the complete story (including mugshots!) by clicking here.

Judge Revokes $1.6 Mil Bail, Releases Sex Offender on OR

Kim Palmer of Kim Palmer A1 Bail Bonds didn't like her odds when she heard that Doug Wilhite, a man she had earlier bailed out of jail on a $100,000 bond, had been charged with seven new sex offenses, and that the police had been tipped off that Wilhite was planning on fleeing. The bail for the new charges alone was $1.6 million. Circuit Judge John Doyle decided that Wilhite could be released, but Palmer did what she thought was best and revoked Wilhite's bond, bringing him back to jail.

Despite Palmer's best judgement in revoking the bail, Circuit Judge R. Michael Hutcheson at a separate hearing decided that Wilhite wasn't a danger to the community or a flight risk, and released him on his own recognizance.

Don't believe us? Read the complete story here.

DWI On a Motorized La-Z-Boy

Adults are constantly warned about the dangers of getting behind the wheel of a car after having one too many to drink. From getting a DUI to accidentally killing someone, it is safe to say that the perils of drinking alcohol then driving a car are well known. Drinking and driving a La-Z-Boy, however? That may be another story.

Dennis Anderson of Minnesota found out the hard way that the safest way to drink in a La-Z-Boy is parked in front of the television set. Instead, officers arrested Anderson after he crashed his motorized armchair into a parked car after having 8 or 9 drinks at a bar. Anderson was found guilty of a DWI and was placed on probation for two years.

Don't believe us? Read the rest of the story here.

Man Allegedly Tased in Rent Argument

A Shelbyville bail bondsman was charged with aggravated assault Wednesday night after allegedly tasing a man in a dispute over rent payments, Shelbyville police said.

The victim arrived at the Bedford County Sheriff's Department with a probe embedded in his lower abdomen and a "place" on his chest where another probe had been, Officer Sam Jacobs said. Jacobs was told the probes were from a Taser shot by "Carlos the bondsman."

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Caregiver Suspected of Poisoning Elderly Patient Denied Bail

A caregiver of an elderly Florida lady was denied bail after allegedly stealing from then poisoning the 78-year-old woman in her care. A toxicology report showing ten times the prescribed amount of painkillers in the victim's body confirmed that she had not died of natural causes, like the caregiver claimed.

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Bail Agents Fight Back Against Pre-Trial Release

The bail-bond industry sent a glossy four-page flier to 50,000 mailboxes this month, warning Orange County taxpayers that elected officials are allowing drunken drivers, drug dealers and violent criminals out of jail by using a costly but flawed pretrial-release program.

That flier, urging residents to tell commissioners to end the "wasteful" program, lists people arrested and released for crimes ranging from drug possession and child neglect to concealing a firearm and lewd behavior. But various judicial and county officials say themaileris misleading on a number of fronts and leaves out a crucial fact: All the arrested people cited in the mailer could bail out of jail and be on the street — even if the release program was not in place.

What the mailer really shows, county officials say, is a struggling bail-bond industry that fears the spread of successful pretrial-release programs nationwide could cost them serious business.

"Our interest is public safety," said Michael Tidwell, Orange's jail chief. "The interest of the bail-bond industry is their livelihood; it's their profit margin."

The mailer prompted County Mayor Rich Crotty to hastily include a public briefing about it for commissioners on today's regular meeting agenda.

The fight centers around certain minimal-risk jail inmates who are offered a low-cost release from jail while awaiting a court hearing.


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No Bail for "Dangerous" Cigarette Dealer

A New York store owner selling untaxed cigarettes on the black market has been denied bail by Judge Denis Hurley. Hurley claims that the store owner is "dangerous," despite being acquitted of arson, murder and other charges.

Read the complete story here.

Inmate population surges as bail bond debate swirles

Changes in the amount of bail that offenders must post to get out of jail have sparked a controversy among county officials and residents.

Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena says the county jail is near capacity and that the county risks being placed under federal oversight and ordered to build a new jail wing if the inmate population doesn’t decrease.

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10 Great Cars for 10 Different Jobs

Job: Bounty hunter
Do you think of Labor Day more as the ceremonial end of summer or the official beginning of football season? As the start of yet another school year or just a welcome three-day weekend? Well, the U.S. Department of Labor sees it as a "yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country." So, in the spirit of putting some of the labor back into Labor Day, we put together a list of 10 cars for 10 jobs.

Car: 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
Whether the chase takes you over rocks, across a desert or just up and down a few curbs, the all-new 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor's standout suspension will help you get your man (or woman). The menacing looks won't hurt, either.

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CT Insurance Commissioner Cracks Down on Bail Bond Agents

State Insurance Commissioner Thomas Sullivan is cracking down on improper business practices by the surety bail bond industry in Connecticut, which includes agents discounting bond premiums in order to gain business.

That allows defendants to get out of jail for a reduced price.

Recent enforcement actions against surety bail bond agents have resulted in two license revocations, two license suspensions, one year-long probation, and fines totaling $7,500, the state insurance department said.

"There is no reason why this industry can't operate within the letter of the law," Sullivan said in a written statement.

Surety bail bond agents are regulated by the insurance department because they are appointed agents of an insurance company. The department licenses 516 surety bail bond agents, 136 bail bond agencies, and 19 surety companies in the state.

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$33 Million Dollar Bail Bond Set for New York Doctor Accused of Sexually Abusing Patients

An allegedly phony Brooklyn doctor accused of sexually abusing patients while they were under anesthesia has the dubious distinction of having the highest bail in the land: either $11 million cash or a virtually impossible $33 million bail bond.

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Sorodsky, 62, was practicing without a license since at least 1995, administering "treatments" out of his Emmons Avenue office in Sheepshead Bay that may have been harmful, and sexually abusing at least eight female patients.

Then, last month, prosecutors, having found additional victims, brought a new slew of charges and opened a separate case.

No exact records exist, but several experts say Michail Sorodsky's bond is the highest they have ever heard of.

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Judge Rules Anthony's Bail Agents Can Testify

A Florida judge has denied attorney Jose Baez’s, Casey Anthony’s defense lawyer, motion to seal interviews of Bounty Hunter, Leonard Padilla and his team. Hours of audio taped interviews as they talk about what they heard and saw from Casey Anthony during the time they spent with her after Padilla had he bailed out of jail.

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Bailbondsmen Interviewed in Casey Anthony Trial

What was Casey Anthony like when she was out of jail last summer?Self-absorbed was the impression left by a WESH-Channel 2 report tonight. The station offered a "Today" interview with bail bondsman Tony Padilla, whose uncle is bounty hunter Leonard Padilla.

Padilla's team "spent nine days guarding Casey and their $500,000 investment," WESH's Bob Kealing said. "Their testimony could help the state argue that Casey was already emotionally detached from her still-missing daughter."

Anthony is charged with the first-degree murder of her daughter, Caylee. 

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Jail Bail Scam

On August 17, 2009, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a fraud report at Camp Verde Detention Center jail lobby. Deputies met with the employee of a restaurant in Cottonwood regarding the incident.

The employee explained she received a phone call at work from a person claiming he was an “Officer of the Court.” He told her there was someone in jail she knew but he could only release the name of the employee if she identified the person first. She thought briefly and mentioned the name of an employee not currently at work. The man told her she was correct and claimed this person was in-custody for a DUI. She was also told that the arrestee had enough money for bail, but Arizona law did not permit arrestees to bail themselves out. The “Court Officer” requested the employee to post a bond and the arrestee would pay her back upon release

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Catholic Diocese Bails Out Priest; Archdiocese Does Not Approve

An Australian priest was arrested on charges of grooming a child for sex after sexually explicit online chats with a police officer posing as a 13 year old girl. The bishop of the Western Sydney diocese, Father Terry Bell, offered $25,000 towards Robert Fuller's bail, as well as offering accommodation at a church-owned property.

Despite Father Bell's offer, the Archdiocese of Sydney has released a statement stating that Father Fuller is responsible for his own legal costs. "The Archdiocese does not contribute to these costs or provide sureties for bail, and Father Fuller's case is no exception," the Archdiocese said.

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Bail Bondsmen Accused of Thugish Behavior

Bail bondsmen dressed in "police SWAT gear" terrorized patrons of a swinger's club by holding them at gunpoint while they beat a man they thought had skipped bail, then threatened a newspaper editor who wrote about it, four people and the business claim in Clark County Court.

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