International Fidelity Fined $442,000 for Bail Bond Violations; Other Bail Bond Insurers Put on Notice

DENVER, Sept. 7 -- The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies' Division of Insurance issued the following news release:

Following an examination by the Division of Insurance, International Fidelity Insurance Company, a Colorado-regulated casualty company based in New Jersey, must pay a civil fine of $442,000 for numerous violations of insurance law related to Colorado bail bond business.

International Fidelity Insurance Company is licensed to provide a range of surety bonds in Colorado, but the recent market conduct examination focused solely on its bail bond business. Some issues addressed in the examination report include:

-Failure to handle funds in a fiduciary capacity,

-Failure to appropriately contract with all agents,

-Failure to require bail bond agents to complete required documentation,

-Failure to include all required information on documentation related to the issuance of bail bonds, and

-Failure to properly document deviations from filed rates.

"The Division's examination of International Fidelity Insurance Company is one of the first of several ongoing market conduct examinations we have conducted on bail bond insurers, but it will not be the last," said Insurance Commissioner Marcy Morrison. "The Division wants to send a clear message that the issues and the standards addressed in this exam will impact every bail bond insurer and its agents, as well as every cash and professional cash agent licensed in Colorado. There are other bail bond market conduct exams currently in progress and we expect to continue to call examinations on additional companies, both large and small."

Morrison pointed out that an agent accurately completing required bail bond paperwork is not optional; it is required in Colorado law. "The law's intent is to protect the consumer. Families and individuals who must use a bail bond agent can be in a vulnerable position and they depend on the bail bond agent to act appropriately to complete and file correct paperwork, which protects the consumer's interests," she said.

International Fidelity provided a remedial plan to correct the failures uncovered in the examination, which must now be implemented no later than December 31, 2010. The Division found that IFIC's remedial plan addressed the issues and violations set forth in the Final Agency Order. Morrison stated that over the next few months, the Division will expect and require all other bail bond insurers and agents in Colorado to reach the same level of compliance as seen in IFIC's plan .



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Bondsmen Charged with False Imprisonment

Richard Wayne Angle, 51, and Terry Lee Henderson, 44, representatives of AAA Freedom Bail Bonds, stand charged with false imprisonment, a serious misdemeanor after they allegedly held an individual for over 24 hours, handcuffed to a bed in a one-room garage with two dogs.
The two were arrested at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 2, at the Clay County Jail.

According to the Clay County Sheriff's report, Angle and Henderson assisted an individual in bonding out of jail as representatives of AAA Freedom Bail Bonds.

After family members of the individual realized that their home had been used as collateral, the family representatives contacted the bonding company and advised them the bond would be revoked and asked the lien to be released immediately.

Upon receiving the information, the two bail bondsmen located the individual and brought him back to the Clay County Jail. Jail officials advised Triple AAA bondsmen that they could not take the individual as no paperwork was available and it would take several days to clear through the courthouse.

Upon leaving the courthouse, the two men allegedly took the individual to Everly and handcuffed him to a bed in a garage and placed two rottwieller dogs in the garage with him. They held him there for over 24 hours according to the sheriff's report, waiting the paperwork to clear, and then brought the individual to the jail.

The complaint, filed by Cindy Brokens of Scotch Grove, on Aug. 31, suggested the false imprisonment occurred over a four-day period of time. The complaint suggested that the individual should have been released on bond in accordance with state laws, and the individual had the right to be released.

According to the report, the bondsmen in the investigation admitted they would have to let him go, and didn't have a driver's license to drive around and locate him again.


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Vegas Police Defend Hilton's Quick Jail Release

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas police are defending Paris Hilton's quick release from jail after her Aug. 27 arrest on suspicion of cocaine possession, saying they wanted to avoid disruptions in the jail's operations.

Hilton was out of the jail in about three hours, roughly half the average time it takes to process people facing the same charge through the Clark County Detention Center, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Chief Jim Dixon, who runs the jail, acknowledged Hilton was pushed through the booking process to get her into a separate room and out of the jail as soon as possible.

He noted a crowd of about 100 people gathered outside the Wynn Las Vegas resort to snap photos and shoot video of Hilton while her boyfriend, Cy Waits, was pulled over and arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

"Yeah, she was treated differently so I don't have a disruption of my process here at the county jail," Dixon told the Review-Journal. "When you bring somebody in like that, everybody comes over and tries to look at them. I'd have officers attempting to keep inmates away from her. I'd have disruptions."

Because of overcrowding, Hilton presented a major problem for jailers, Dixon added.

"She was moved along out of the general area and put in isolation where nobody can actually get to her. ... As soon as (her release on her own recognizance) was pushed through, she was kicked out," he said.

Jessica Murray of Bob's Bail Bonds said she was bothered by Hilton's rapid release. Murray, whose clients are mostly "working girls" arrested for nonviolent soliciting or trespassing, said the average booking time on those charges is four to 12 hours, followed by another four to 12 hours until release.

"I could understand putting her in a separate room. But I don't understand putting her above everyone else," Murray said. "If you're alleged to commit a crime, you get treated like everybody else."

But Tony Collins of 911 Bail Bonds said he understood why Hilton was treated differently.

"If she had gotten out in 30 minutes, that would have been special treatment," he said.

Hilton, 29, was charged with one felony count of cocaine possession after authorities say she opened a purse in front of a police lieutenant and a small baggie of cocaine fell out. Hilton claims neither the purse nor the cocaine was hers.

She's scheduled to appear before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure on Oct. 27.



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No Charges Yet in Death of Bail Bondsman

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – The results of a month-long investigation into the shooting death of a bail bondsman are expected to be submitted to the District Attorney's office by the end of September, authorities said.

The investigation, conducted by the Orange County Sheriff's Department, centers on whether an 51-year-old man was justified at firing at Dean Patrick Maldonado when the bail bondsman entered the home of a Rancho Santa Margarita woman in July.

Investigators are awaiting laboratory results, said Dan Salcedo, investigator with the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Officials said the shooting occurred after a loud encounter outside the21300 block of Stonetower Drive, where a woman that Maldonado was dating lived.

Maldonado and the owner of the home had an on-and-off relationship, and another man was visiting her at the house when Maldonado arrived, Salcedo said.

Officials did not say why Maldonado, of Newport Beach, drove to the Rancho Santa Margarita home just before midnight, but an argument broke out as soon as he arrived.
Maldonado began screaming outside the home, prompting at least one neighbor to call 911, Salcedo said.

A second neighbor also called police, stating that Maldonado was screaming and standing in the backyard of the house.

Maldonado allegedly walked into the house through an unlocked sliding door and into an upstairs bedroom.

The woman's friend took a handgun that was being kept in a locked box, officials said.

Officials did not identify who, but either the woman or her friend dialed 911 to report the disturbance.

Maldonado then walked into the upstairs bedroom, where the 51-year-old man fired several times into his chest.

Officials have made no arrests and have declined to release the man's name, citing an ongoing investigation.


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Lower Bail for Nonviolent Suspects Helps County, Hurts Businesses

Getting out of jail in Spokane County is getting cheaper.

After years of inmate overcrowding and a push by the county to streamline the judicial system, prosecutors, defense lawyers and bond companies are seeing judges impose lower bail amounts on nonviolent crime suspects, making it easier to get out of jail while awaiting trial.

That trend, while helping reduce county spending, has triggered a mild backlash among those who tend to benefit from crowded jails and stiff bail requirements.

“It’s driving us out of the bonding business in this town,” said Rodger Betschart Jr., owner of Ace’s Bail Bonds.

Bail bond companies make their money by charging crime suspects a fee, usually about 10 percent of the total bail amount, in exchange for posting their bail. The higher the bail amount, the higher the fee.

One factor in reducing the jail population could be the expansion of a pretrial release program that analyzes a defendant’s criminal record, history of court appearances and ties to the community and makes a recommendation on whether they should be released. If a defendant has a history of compliance with court orders, for example, or no indications of violent behavior, judges are more likely to impose little or no bail, enabling suspects to return to their lives rather than sit in jail while awaiting trial.

“We’re trying different things instead of just locking them up and holding them with a high bond,” said Superior Court Judge Annette Plese, who monitors bond companies for the court.


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Thomas Porteous' Defense Says Four Judges Took Money From Corrupt Bond Agents

As Thomas Porteous, the impeached federal judge from Metairie, prepares his defense before the U.S. Senate, he is alleging that 10 other judges received money from the bail bonds company at the center of the expansive federal investigation into the Jefferson Parish Courthouse corruption.

In a "proposed stipulation of facts," Porteous' attorneys allege that these judges received money from Louis and Lori Marcotte, siblings who pleaded guilty in 2006 in a racketeering and mail fraud conspiracy connected to their business, Bail Bonds Unlimited. His attorneys don't describe the intent of the payments nor do they mention Porteous ever receiving money from the Marcottes.

Share But by suggesting that other judges were more susceptible than Porteous to the wiles of the Marcottes, the defense hopes to keep Porteous on the bench of the U.S. District Court in New Orleans. The House of Representatives impeached Porteous in March, setting up his trial in the Senate. If convicted by the Senate, Porteous would lose his lifetime job, which currently pays $174,000 a year. He's close to the end of a two-year paid suspension.

Porteous fell under suspicion after the FBI, in what the agency called Operation Wrinkled Robe, began examining allegations of corruption at the Gretna courthouse in 1999. He was a state judge there for 10 years until President Clinton appointed him to the federal bench in 1994.

The investigation sent two Gretna judges to prison, and a third was removed from office by the Louisiana Supreme Court. But the U.S. Justice Department decided not to charge Porteous with a crime, instead referring him to his federal court superiors for impeachment.

Of the 10 judges who reportedly received money from the Marcottes, Porteous' defense names only four: Patrick McCabe and Stephen Windhorst of the 24th Judicial District Court in Gretna, George Giacobbe of Jefferson's 1st Parish Court in Metairie and Roy Cascio of the 2nd Parish Court in Gretna. This is the first time these specific accusations, attributed to the Marcottes' depositions, have surfaced publicly in the aftermath of the Wrinkled Robe investigation.

Porteous' attorneys did not release the Marcottes' original testimony this week.


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Bail Bondsman Arrested For Forced Labor, Blackmail

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. - Lexington County Sheriff’s detectives arrested a bondsman on charges that he forced a woman to perform manual labor and sexual acts for him as a condition of posting her bail.

Curtis Jackson Maroney, 51, was arrested on charges of blackmail and trafficking in persons for forced labor or services.

He is being held without bond at the Lexington County Detention Center.

Maroney works as a licensed bondsman with a Lexington-based bonding company, Affordable Bonding Company.

Arrest warrants allege that on August 12, Maroney posted bail for the 39-year-old Lexington woman and obtained the woman’s release from the Lexington County Detention Center.

He posted her bail on the condition that the woman act as his girlfriend which included cleaning, cooking, as well as performing manual labor and sexual acts.

Maroney remained with the woman at all times and told the woman that he would revoke her bond and arrest her if she did not obey all of his commands.

Maroney extorted services from the woman in lieu of payment for bail.

The woman was arrested on July 31 on charges of driving under the influence. She was released August 12 after Maroney posted bail in cash that totaled $16,122.50.

On August 17, the woman reported the blackmail and forced labor allegations to the Sheriff’s Department after she convinced Maroney to drive her to her father’s home near Lexington to visit her two children.

Maroney waited in his vehicle outside the home of the woman’s father. After she telephoned the Sheriff’s Department, the woman refused to leave her father’s residence until she spoke with deputies.

Under South Carolina law, trafficking in persons for forced labor or services is a felony that carries a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison. Blackmail carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.


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Bondsman Jailed After Targeting Wrong Home

A pair of Florida bail bondsmen found themselves in custody after entering the wrong house, according to Laurinburg police.

Ellis Fernandez Danley, 43, of Orlando, and Adrion John Webb, 28, of Ocoee, entered a Laurinburg home on Beech Street with guns at their sides while looking for a person who had skipped bail in Florida, according to a Laurinburg police report.

After interviewing the homeowner, they realized they had come to the wrong house, police said.

The homeowner told officers that one of the bondsman had his gun drawn, though he did not point the gun at anyone, Capt. Kim Monroe said. The other bondsman had his gun holstered.

Monroe said the person they were looking for had missed court on a misdemeanor charge.

Danley and Webb were charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering and placed in Scotland County jail under a $500 bond.

"Better preparation could and should have taken place before making that entry," Monroe said.

The pair work for All-Star Bail Bonds, according to the report.

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Final Charge Against Naples Bail Bondsman Dismissed

NAPLES — Living up to his nickname, Teflon Joe, Naples bail bondsman Joe Houston walked out of the Collier County Courthouse a free man on Monday, after a judge dismissed the last felony charge remaining against him.

The ruling by Circuit Judge Frank Baker came six months after the judge dismissed a majority of charges against Houston, 38, who owns Liberty Bail Bonds and Express Bail Bonds in Naples, Immokalee and Fort Myers.

It’s been nearly three years since Houston’s arrest on charges that he permitted a felon to act as a bail bond agent, allowed someone to act as a bail bond agent without a license and solicited business inside the county jail by making deposits into inmates’ commissary accounts. He faced up to five years in state prison on each felony.

The charge dismissed Monday, employing a convicted felon, involved Arrie Denise Robinson, 47, who is employed by Houston as a secretary at Express Bail Bonds in Immokalee. She was convicted of welfare fraud in 1986 and ordered to return $786.33 she’d illegally obtained.

Baker agreed with defense attorneys Michael Levin and Donald Day that the charge applies to bond agents, not office employees.

After Baker granted the motion to dismiss, Meike Moss, who works for Houston, hugged her boss as they walked out of court. Both declined comment, as did Levin, but Day hoped it would send a message to those who believe Houston acts illegally.


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Bail Bondsmen Face Tough Times

Although many people assume that the bail bonds industry would shine during difficult economic times, it now faces multiple challenges that are putting a tremendous amount of pressure on bail agents. Bail bonds are far from recession proof and bail bondsmen are faced with an unprecedented business environment.

Bail bondsmen make their money by posting bonds to courts on behalf of defendants, thus securing their release. However, a number of states are pushing pretrial release programs that would allow defendants to be freed from jail without having to use a bail bondsman. Essentially, the court steps in to selectively release defendants it feels are suitable to be freed without paying bail.

Pretrial release program advocates point to the positive effects of counseling and rehabilitation that usually accompany these programs. While bail bond trade groups are quick to cite the increased taxpayer costs of pretrial release programs when the state facilitates the release rather than a bail bondsman. Not coincidentally, those selected for pretrial release programs are often the most attractive bail bonds customers. They are those perceived to be low flight risks and having a high likelihood of appearing in court as ordered. In the end, the more pretrial release programs take hold, the more pressure bondsmen will face from shrinking markets and competing with government programs.

Not only are bail bondsmen feeling pressure from a fundamental shift in the bail and release paradigm, but the economy has also hampered the industry. While crime usually increases during difficult economies, it doesn’t necessarily translate to more robust business for bondsmen. Bail bondsmen are in essence lenders and the credit of potential borrowers isn’t great.




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Bail Bonds Now Available by Phone and Online From Almost Anywhere in the Country

Jacksonville, FL (PRWEB) August 14, 2010

While not at all like a get-out-of-jail-free card, BailZoom.com does provide a potentially valuable service to those who are in trouble with the law. When a bail bond is required to spring someone from the city jail, it often involves the frustrating task of sitting with a phone book trying to find a bail bondsman who answers the phone and who can help quickly.

With BailZoom.com, only one phone number is needed. The BailZoom network includes bail bond agents who can provide service in all 46 states where bail bonding is allowed. Because those who work in the bail bond industry are typically only licensed in one state due to the variation in laws and requirements from state to state, utilizing the information on the BailZoom Web site can save those in need of an agent a lot of time and trouble.

Some have found the process of finding a bail bond agent to be time consuming and frustrating, particularly on a weekend or holiday. BailZoom.com is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Someone is always available to answer questions and help locate an agent that can get the bail bond process started.

Because BailZoom.com has bail bond agents in all 46 states that allow bail bonding, the services are available nationwide. The process has been simplified, but the procedures are the same as with a traditional bail bond agent. The agent that works on each case is licensed in the state where the offense occurred and has a full understanding of local laws and procedures.

The fee is the same as it would be if the bail bond agent were located using any other method. Typically, the fee is between 8% and 15% of the total bond amount. In some cases collateral may be required, but in most cases BailZoom.com can provide a bond with no need for collateral.


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Panel Eyes Ways to Collect Bail Bucks in Philadelphia

Members of a state Senate panel yesterday heard a host of ideas to improve the city's bail-collection system - including using private bondsmen to chase after the money, and providing alternatives to cash bail.

About $1 billion in bail is owed to the city, and 47,000 bench warrants are outstanding for fugitives who failed to come to court.

Common Pleas President Judge Pamela Pryor Dembe yesterday told the Judiciary Committee at a public hearing in Center City that the $1 billion figure is "mythical" because it is, for the most part, uncollectible.

She testified that the Clerk of Quarter Sessions office - which before April operated independently from the courts - failed to aggressively pursue bail collection.

Most of the money is uncollectible because the defendants have died, the clerk's office did not keep accurate records of addresses or the statute of limitations to collect the debt has passed.

The oldest bail debt was determined to date from 1943.

When asked by state Sen. Michael Stack, D-Northeast Philadelphia, how much of the $1 billion could be collected if the court system had all the resources it needed, Dave Wasson, chief deputy court administrator, estimated 2 to 3 percent, or $20 million to $30 million.

Dembe, Jodi Lobel, chief of the district attorney's charging unit, and Stuart Schuman, chief of the Municipal Court unit in the public defenders' office, told the senators that they did not think it would be a good idea to have private bail bondsmen operating extensively in the city again.

Dembe said the city had moved away from that system because of "corruption [and] physical abuse."

Brian J. Frank, president of Lexington National Insurance Corp., the only insurance company now underwriting bail bonds in criminal cases after the city placed high barriers to do such business here, testified that the business is different today from the 1960s - when corruption was the norm.


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Judge Recuses Himself From Bail Bondsman’s Hearing

A court hearing in a case against a local bail bondsman was postponed Monday when a judge recused himself due to a conflict of interest.

Washington County Circuit Judge Daniel P. Dwyer said he could not hear the case against Gregory Lehman Toms “for reasons personal to me and my family.”

Toms, 54, of 19932 Lemuel Lane in Boonsboro, was indicted in June on charges of possession of an explosive/incendiary device with intent to create a destruction device, possession of black powder in excess of 5 pounds, transporting a handgun in a vehicle, possession of a stolen firearm, theft of less than $1,000 and possession of marijuana, according to Washington County Circuit Court records.

The indictment came as the result of a search of Toms’ home on June 2, Cpl. Greg Alton of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department has said.

The case was scheduled for a hearing Monday on motions by the defendant to suppress evidence and to dismiss the charges of explosive device possession, black powder possession and transporting a handgun in a vehicle, court records show.

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Three Arrested in Santa Clarita Brush Fire

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested three people Sunday in connection with a brush fire in the Santa Clarita Valley that scorched more than 40 acres and prompted the evacuation of 30 homes.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of arson and two others were arrested for allegedly obstructing firefighters, according to the department.

The fire broke out just before 2 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Copper Hill Drive and Haskell Canyon Road. Firefighters had knocked down all visible flames by about 4:30 p.m

The fire burned about 43 acres, and about 30 homes were evacuated, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The blaze was 60% contained by late Sunday.

Witnesses reported seeing two youths running from the area shortly after the fire broke out.

About an hour and a half later, a sheriff's deputy detained two 14-year-old boys matching their description, sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker said.

One of the boys admitted he was smoking marijuana when he dropped a barbecue lighter in the dry brush. He and his friend tried stomping on the fire but ran away when that didn't work, Parker said. The boy was charged with arson and his friend was released.

Anthony Fierro, 33, of Saugus and a 16-year-old boy were arrested after they defied repeated orders to move away from the fire, Parker said. The pair, who were not together, prevented helicopters from dropping water on the blaze, he said.

"They seem to have some extraordinary desire to be close to the fire," Parker said.

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After 18 Months, Serious Charges Against Bail Bondsman Remain Largely Unexamined

A year and a half after Bexar County's leading bail bondsman starred in an Express-News report on whether he offered illicit favors to a range of public officials in exchange for business, it's hard to find evidence that the explosive allegations against him have been taken seriously.

That doesn't mean Albert Saenz did anything wrong. It does mean the charges against the owner of AA BEST Bail Bonds haven't been vetted as fully as they should've been.

Activity has picked up recently, though there may be injustice in that, too. Tim Ybarra, who worked in the D.A.'s bond forfeiture section, was reassigned last month to the office's juvenile division.

Assistant District Attorney Cliff Herberg said that was done after he saw a new affidavit from Brenda Flores, who managed Saenz's office but was fired more than a year ago, saying Ybarra gave Saenz extra time to find fugitives and pay penalties in exchange for cash.

That's doubly sensitive because Ybarra is the Democratic candidate for county clerk in November. Herberg — whose boss, Susan Reed, also is on the ballot — said the affidavit had been referred to the Texas Rangers, who have a policy not to discuss allegations involving a candidate close to an election.

But that begs another question: Why did everybody wait so long?

The allegations against Saenz first surfaced on Nov. 23, 2008, in an Express-News story by John MacCormack, who spoke to 11 former employees, a half-dozen of whom accused Saenz of improprieties. Two told MacCormack this week that they hadn't been interviewed by anyone — not the Rangers, not the district attorney or sheriff's offices, and not the Bexar County Bail Bond Board, which held a hearing in January 2009 but took no action.

I wasn't able to reach Robert DeLeon, the bail bond board's administrator, on Thursday, but Ed Schweninger, the board's attorney, said the hearing had been less detailed than he'd expected.
He said the board doesn't have an investigative arm.

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New Jersey Tightens Reins on Bounty Hunters

Bounty hunters in New Jersey can now call themselves licensed professionals as the state begins to corral an industry that is better known for its cowboys than its boy scouts.

The first licenses – 84 wallet-sized IDs with the words "Bounty Hunter" emblazoned across the top – were issued by New Jersey State Police several months ago in response to legislation that was designed to remove the kind of bad actors who mistook a Rutherford woman for a fugitive in 2005.

Those who support the licensing requirement, who include bounty hunters and the bail bond agents who hire them, say it helps legitimize an industry that operated without accountability.

But some of the same bounty hunters who support the idea of regulation, say few municipal police departments are asking for identification cards.

"I have yet to have any cop ask me for my New Jersey Bounty Hunters license," said Joe Banzaca, who goes hunting with his middle-aged nephew at least once a week for ASAP Bail Bonds in Hackensack. "It's just another way for this state to make money."

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Snooki Arrested, Released for Disorderly Conduct

Jersey Shore" star Snooki was released from jail Friday after being arrested earlier in the day in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, for disorderly conduct, Us Weekly reported.

The 22-year-old breakout reality television star, whose real name is Nicole Polizzi, appeared to be intoxicated as she was taken away by police.

"On Friday at approximately 15:23 hours, Nicole Polizzi was acting in a disorderly matter while on the beach," Seaside Heights chief of police Thomas J. Boyd told the magazine.

"Miss Polizzi was escorted from the beach by patrolmen and placed under arrest for disorderly conduct ... near the boardwalk.

"She was transported to police headquarters and later released on a summons."

A police spokesperson said that meant Snooki will be assessed by a judge in court at a date to be determined and will likely be ordered to pay a fine.

She was not required to pay any bail money to be released from custody.

Jenni "J-Woww" Farley wrote on Twitter Friday: "Going to bail @Sn00ki out of jail ... The things I do for this girl, I swear."

Entertainment website Hollywood Life reported that Snooki had earlier purchased a beer bong and was seen consuming shots from it. She was also seen doing body shots at a beachside bar.

The cast of the MTV show was scheduled to be in Seaside Heights this week to film the third season of the hit show, which follows eight Italian-American young people as they enjoy the summer at the beach.

The show's second season, filmed earlier this year in Miami, premiered Thursday evening.

More than 5.3 million people tuned in -- a 300 percent increase on last season's premiere -- becoming the network's second biggest premiere of all time, behind the second season debut of "The Osbournes."

In the first season of "Jersey Shore," Snooki was herself the victim of an intoxicated patron who punched her in the face in a bar.

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‘Dangerous’ Inmate Walks out of Rhode Island Prison with Someone Else’s ID

CRANSTON — It was 45 minutes after inmate Nayquan J. Gadson presented the identification of another prisoner and walked out of the Adult Correctional Institutions Tuesday before guards realized they had been tricked, the state police say.

By then, the 21-year-old was gone.

Gadson, who had been held at the ACI since July 2 and was facing numerous charges including first-degree robbery, possession of a firearm in committing a crime of violence and eluding police, became the first prisoner to escape from the prison since career criminal Scott Kelly Hansen slipped out in November 1998 by posing as a federal marshal, according to Providence Journal archives.

Throughout the day Wednesday, members of the State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force, as well as police from across the state, searched for the 5-feet, 8-inch, 170-pound inmate. Due to his past record, he has been deemed highly dangerous by the state police.

Capt. David S. Neill, state police detective commander, said Gadson, who had been assigned to a two-man cell in the Intake Center’s H Mod, is believed to have hatched the plan for his escape while talking to another inmate who was assigned there.

Neill refused to identify the other inmate, referring to him as “John Doe.” Neill said the inmate advised Gadson that he would be walking out of the prison if he could make bail. Gadson, according to Neill, concocted a scheme whereby a friend on the outside would contact a bail bondsman to say that Doe was ready to make bail.

With the payment arranged, both Doe and Gadson knew that the bondsman would be coming by the facility Tuesday at 5 p.m. to do the final paperwork for Doe’s release. In anticipation of his arrival, the two men switched cells, Neill said.

Each cell typically serves two inmates, but on Monday, Doe moved into an empty cell because Gadson’s roommate was due for a court appearance. Gadson moved into Doe’s cell, sharing space with Doe’s roommate.

According to Neill, the unsuspecting bondsman, whom Neill also refused to identity, showed up at the Intake Center to make the bail payments for Doe. Told that Doe was ready to be released, a guard went to his cell and found two prisoners, one of whom identified himself as Doe.

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Prosecutor: Okla Bondsman Facing Charge Kills Self

WYNNEWOOD — A Wynnewood bail bondsman committed suicide Monday, five days after he was arrested on an allegation he attempted to bribe a district attorney, authorities said. Louis Perry, owner of Perry Bail Bonds, was free on bail when he reportedly shot himself in the chest, said Carter County District Attorney Craig Ladd. Perry and

his wife, Ramona, were arrested July 21 on a

complaint they attempted to bribe Ladd. Ladd had asked that the case be assigned to the Bryan County district attorney's office, since he expected to be a witness. Tim Webster, Bryan County

assistant district attorney, said he is still reviewing evidence in the case to determine whether a criminal charge is warranted against Perry's widow.

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Bail Bond Companies Claim Conflict with Pretrial Release

Cradling his office phone between his head and left shoulder, Raul "Katt" Brewster grabs his cell mid-ring and answers, "Bail bonds."

His fluorescent orange office walls hit like smelling salt. They keep him alert, Brewster says.

"Twenty thousand?" asks Brewster, the manager of the Wilmington office of Powell Bail Bonding. "Can you come up with a G? ... Can you come up with a thousand?"

In the few minutes between phone calls, Brewster talks about his trade and its "adversary:" pretrial release.

Sitting eight miles away in an office at the New Hanover County courthouse, Ray Murphy disagrees.

The pretrial release contractor says, "The public is going to win when pretrial and bonding cooperate."

Bail bonding companies and pretrial release programs get people out of jail as they wait for their court date. Both say they reduce prison populations.

But bail bonding companies say pretrial costs taxpayers money that should be spent elsewhere, while pretrial advocates say the program rehabilitates offenders and monitors them as they pay fines and child support.

For some bail companies, the feud has become political. Brewster said bail bond companies lobby state legislatures to limit pretrial release programs and represent their interests on other issues.

Locally, the Lower Cape Fear Bail Bonding Association represents bail agents, while the North Carolina Bail Agents Association is its statewide counterpart. Also, the N.C. Bail Agents Association Political Action Committee raises money and donates it to General Assembly campaigns and committees.

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