Bail Bondsman Shot in Winston-Salem

WINSTON-SALEM — A bail bondsman was shot in one foot while he was trying to take into custody a wanted suspect, who managed to get away.

Winston-Salem police said Michael Todd Smith and two colleagues with Surety Bonding went to 104 Penner St. earlier today to locate a wanted suspect. At 1:25 a.m., Smith and the two other bondmen forced open the door.

The suspect inside fired several shots from a handgun at the bondsmen. The bondsmen returned fire as the suspect went back into the apartment.

The 43-year-old Smith, who lives in Thomasville, suffered a gunshot wound to one of his feet. Police did not give Smith's condition.

The police department's Special Enforcement Team later entered the apartment but could not find the suspect.

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Special Report: A Day in the Life of a Bail Bondsman

You hope you never need it but we all know there's a business out that there that thrives off people messing up and going to jail.

Bail bondsmen help get a lot of people out from behind bars but it doesn't stop there.

Pit Bull is a bail bondsman and a bounty hunter. He's a guy who loves his job and isn't afraid to play tough.

"It's not a 9 to 5 job," said Doug Graue "Pit Bull". "Never know what's going to happen."Graue says when someone is in jail looking to get out he can be their best friend.

"When they run, I'm their worst enemy," he said.

He left 20 years of police work behind for life as a bail bondsman.

"You're always a little nervous because you don't know what's going to happen," Graue said.

He is based out of Hayti in Pemiscot county and covers 30 counties.

His mission on the day we caught up with him was to find a man he bailed out of jail on 10 percent of $25,000 bond not long ago."The subject we bonded out hasn't met up with his obligations. He's moving from house to house every few weeks," Graue said.

Graue says the bail bondsman has a big responsibility.

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Paint this big square state purple. Again.

Joining the echoes heard across the country, Colorado voters on Tuesday began restoring some Republicans to power across Colorado. However, true to the independent streak that runs strong through this Western state, Democrats held their own.

Democratic Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, having benefitted from a fractured Republican Party, will be the state's 42nd governor.

The U.S. Senate race between Democrat Michael Bennet and Republican Ken Buck still was too close to call as of our deadline. The fact a Democrat could stay so close in an otherwise good year for Republicans speaks to Colorado's independence.

Voters also wisely turned down three tax-slashing measures, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, which would have devastated a state budget that already has a $1 billion shortfall while shortchanging schools and roads.

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Proposition 102 Opposed by Law Enforcement

While the battle rages politically on senate and governor campaigns, and political watchers wage their wars against tax measures on Tuesday's ballot, one measure has been residing under much of the public radar.

Proposition 102.

The measure may not be garnering attention like amendments 60 and 61, and Proposition 101, but it could be just another nail in local government's coffin, say some opponents. Opponents of 102 paint it as a moneymaking measure for the state's bail agents — the people who help bail people out of jail and ensure they get to their court dates.

The measure asks voters to require only first-time, nonviolent offenders be let out of jail to a program called pretrial services without having to put up their own money. So far, there are 10 pretrial services programs in counties throughout the state, including Weld and Larimer. It's a court-, or county-operated program, which researches defendants' backgrounds to determine their risk factors in the community, which in turn helps judges determine their amount of bail. It also serves to monitor defendants upon release by providing drug and alcohol testing, and monitoring whereabouts, for example, to keep defendants in line with protection orders.


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Officials Say Connecticut's Bail System in Need of Major Reforms

BRIDGEPORT -- Connecticut's bail bond system is out of control.

More than 17,000 accused felons in Connecticut have skipped out on their bail bonds. Rules that require bondsmen to collect a certain percentage of each bail bond are routinely ignored.

The list of dangerous felons who have been released on bail only to kill or harm someone else is like a who's who of criminal defendants in the state.

Selami Ozdemir, of West Haven, was bonded out on a Saturday in January and shot his wife to death the next day.

Darryl Crenshaw was bonded out while awaiting trial on kidnapping charges and then beat his girlfriend to death in July 2008.

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Houma Bail Bondsman and Wrestler Earns Spot in Louisana Hall of Fame

HOUMA — When Chad “Bronco Bob” Bonvillain of Houma was inducted into the newly established Louisiana Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame on Oct. 16, he said his emotions bubbled over inside the Amelia Recreation Center.

“I'm the first individual wrestler to be named to it,” the 38-year-old said. “They're going to start putting guys in it on a regular basis, and it should be a great thing in terms of getting some local guys in the sport recognized.”

The 6-foot-7, 400-pound bail bondsman and bounty hunter spent much of the past 17 years pursuing wrestling as a full-time career but recently shifted to part-time. Bonvillain has shared the ring with greats like the Junkyard Dog and Buff Bagwell, among others.

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Prop. 102 Would Force Defendants to Pay to Remain Free Before Trial

Colorado voters will decide this November whether to pass a proposal into law that would result in more criminal defendants having to put up cash to secure their pretrial release from jail.

Supporters say Proposition 102 will ensure defendants will be more likely to show up for court dates because their own money or their family's money will be at stake.

"They will have skin in the game, so to speak," said Mike Paul Donovan, a Douglas County resident who is pushing the proposal, and is a lobbyist for Seneca Insurance, which has a bail-bond division.

But a coalition of law enforcement officers, prosecutors and defense lawyers is urging voters to defeat the proposal.

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St. Louis Bail Bondsman Shot in Robbery Attempt

ST. LOUIS (KMOX)__ A St. Louis bail bondsman is in critical condition after being shot during a robbery Saturday night.

Police say the 52-year-old victim was struck in the chest, back and side shortly before eight p.m. at his home in the 700 block of Carr.

The bondsman fired back but police don’t know if either suspect was hit. The victim’s name has not been released.

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Police: Bail Bondsman Seen Buying Heroin

NEW BRITAIN - A Newington bail bondsman was arrested on a drug charge Monday after he allegedly bought heroin from a dealer Special Service Unit members had under surveillance, police said.

Stephen Angelillo, 37, of 84 Dowd St., Newington was tailed and stopped by officers after the transaction took place Monday on Trinity Street in New Britain. Police were originally watching Mitchell Lurry who would meet customers on Trinity Street so they wouldn’t know his actual address when they saw Angelillo show up to make a buy, Sgt. Jerry Chrostowski said.

Angelillo had 13 packets of heroin with him when his car was pulled over, police said. He was charged with possession of narcotics and released on bond. Lurry was found with more than $10,000 in heroin and $29,000 in cash after unit members searched his home and car Monday.


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Bail Bondsman Hit with Bank's Door in Des Moines

A wanted man got the better of a bail bondsman by smashing his hand in a revolving door and taking off on foot Friday. Police later caught up to the suspect at the bus station.

Lonnie Fentress of Iowa Bail Bonds picked up Garrett J. Jesmer, 18, at the Polk County Jail so he could post bond. Fentress drove Jesmer to the Wells Fargo Bank at 666 Walnut St. to withdraw $8,300 for his bond, police said.

Fentress removed Jesmer's handcuffs as a courtesy and to avoid causing alarm among bank patrons, police said.

Fentress, 46, told police Jesmer turned and used the bank's revolving door as a weapon by slamming it backwards onto Fentress' hand, then taking off on foot.


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Duane 'Dog' Chapman Rushed to Hospital in Los Angeles on Saturday After Blood Clot Scare: Report

It was a dog day afternoon for Duane Chapman on Saturday.

The "Dog the Bounty Hunter" star was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center after sustaining an injury while on a bounty hunt, his wife told TMZ.com.

Chapman felt pain and was sent to the ER "to avoid possible serious complications," according to RadarOnline.com.

His wife, Beth Smith, told TMZ.com that Chapman was treated for internal bleeding and tested for a possible blood clot.

"Duane is in very capable hands and and we thank everyone for their prayers,"she wrote in a statement on the 57-year-old reality star's official website.

He was released the same day following a thorough check-up.

"Yes dog is injured it is an occupational hazard that we deal with he is very strong and in excellent condition he will 4 sure survive," his wife tweeted on Sunday.

"Dog the Bounty Hunter" premieres Wednesday at 9 p.m. on A&E.

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Bondsman Makes it his Mission to Catch One Particular Bail Jumper

CLEARWATER — If you watch the Tampa Bay Rays on television, you've probably seen him. Bald head. Olive skin. Downcast eyes. Wanted for beating up a woman, among other dirty deeds.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is looking for Brian Andrew Word, but perhaps not nearly as intensely as Al Estes Bail Bonds Inc. It's spending $1,400 a month on TV ads featuring Word during all Rays games and offering $7,500 for information leading to his arrest.

"He's a menace to society," said Al Estes Sr. He's dangerous, Estes said, especially to women. Still, he's not the worst the bail bondsman has run across.

So why is he so focused on this guy?

There's the money. Estes stands to lose nearly $100,000 if Word doesn't turn up, though it wouldn't be the first time he's lost money on a bail jumper.

He tells every customer who comes through his office: You might make mistakes, you might be addicted or dishonest, but you don't ignore your court date.

Don't make him come after you. Because he will.

"We're going to get him," said Estes, 77 years old and not afraid of a slick, 6-foot, 41-year-old "good-looking party guy" who apparently took the old man for a fool.

One day in October 2009, a lawyer called Estes' office seeking help for Word, arrested on charges of battery by strangulation, residential burglary and other charges connected to a dispute with Word's former girlfriend. It wasn't Word's first battery arrest.

Estes agreed to bail out Word if someone would vouch for him. Soon, Word's mother, Milene Johnson, showed up. Estes has good luck when mothers get involved. People rarely skip town and leave their mothers to deal with bail bondsmen.

The longer Word is a fugitive, the more Estes Sr. stands to lose. Estes had to pay almost $100,000 to the court since Word missed a February court date, but if he catches Word within two years, he'll get at least half of the amount back. After two years, Estes gets nothing.

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Bail-bond Measure Ignites Passions

The battle over Proposition 102, a measure on the November ballot that would affect how judges set bail in criminal cases, has focused on Larimer County in recent days.

On Monday, a vocal group of about 40 people gathered outside the administration building of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office to protest Sheriff Jim Alderden's opposition to Proposition 102.

Waving signs, American flags and chanting, the protesters called for the end to "criminal welfare," which is how they refer to county-administered pretrial services that allow defendants to stay out of jail through personal recognizance or cash-backed bonds.

Proposition 102 would prohibit judges from assigning defendants to pretrial services on unsecured bonds other than first-time offenders accused of nonviolent misdemeanor crimes. Other defendants could be assigned to pretrial-service supervision if they are released on surety bonds obtained through a bail-bond agency for a fee.

Ten counties across the state have pretrial services, with Larimer County having one of the largest programs. The county's program has taken decision-making about bail out of the hands of judges, said Robert Trucker, outreach director for Safe Streets Colorado, a campaign committee backing the proposal.

"I don't believe giving criminals a 'get out of jail free card' at taxpayer expense makes sense for anyone, including the criminal," he said.

Alderden and Sharon Winfree, who supervises the county's pretrial release program, were named in a complaint filed last week with the Secretary of State's Office claiming opponents of Proposition 102 violated state campaign finance law by not registering as a campaign committee.

Also named in the complaint by Sarah Millett of Centennial were Scott Storey, the district attorney in Jefferson County, state Attorney General John Suthers, and the Pretrial Justice Institute, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. All have publically spoken against Proposition 102.

Opponents have since registered as Citizens to Protect Colorado Communities. Spokesperson Stefanie Clarke - who was also named in the complaint - said the complaint is a "publicity stunt" aimed at distracting voters.


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Hacienda Heights Bail Bondsman, Former Police Officer Killed in Crash Hours Before he was Due in Court on Criminal Charges

A Hacienda Heights man was killed early Monday in a hit-and-run crash just hours before he was due in court on charges of illegally soliciting bail from prisoners while working as a bail bond agent, officials said.

Bail bondsman and former Los Angeles police officer Edwin Sunmin Lee, 39, was due in court at 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to Shiara Davila Morales of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Lee never made it after he was involved in a fatal two-vehicle crash at 2:47 a.m. on Garfield Avenue and the 105 Freeway in Paramount, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said.

Three men were seen fleeing following the collision, said sheriff's Lt. Shane Robley.

"It was three male Hispanics, and two were helping the third," he said.

No arrests had been made as of Tuesday afternoon, and information regarding the crash was not immediately available, Robley said.

Lee was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Authorities alleged earlier this year that Lee - while working as a licensed bail agent for Creative Bail Bonds in Van Nuys - solicited two arrestees to enter into bail agreements while at the Los Angeles Police Department's jail in Van Nuys.

Prosecutors also allege he failed to keep complete records of the bail transactions. Lee pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this year.

Lee's attorney Grant Beuchel said his client wasn't guilty of the solicitation charges. Lee's only mistake was failing to keep proper records, Beuchel said.

"He had nothing to fear from this case at all," Beuchel said. "He was looking forward to going to trial."

Lee leaves behind a wife and young child, Beuchel said.

Lee resigned from the Los Angeles Police Department after pleading no contest in April 2005 to a felony count of filing a false police report.

That charge was subsequently reduced to a misdemeanor and dismissed in February 2007, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.


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Lindsay Lohan Bondsman Says Putting Her in Jail was Unfair

Washington, Sep 28 (ANI): Lindsay Lohan’s bail bondsman David Perez has said that the judge’s decision to put the star behind bars was unfair.

Perez, who posted the 300,000-dollar bail to spring LiLo from behind bar, said that Judge Elden Fox’s decision to remand the actress in custody, without bail, was unprecedented.

“I think what Judge Fox did to her, putting her behind bars was unfair. It was a misdemeanor, and she was entitled to bail. I have never seen a judge deny someone bail because of a misdemeanor, ever,” RadarOnline.com quoted him as saying.

Perez said Lohan had no trouble coming up the whopping bail.

“There was absolutely no problem whatsoever in securing her bail, period.

“Lindsay has never had financial problems securing bail,” he added.


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Huntsville Police Arrest Local Bail Bondsman For Murder

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Huntsville Police have arrested a local business owner and charged him with murder. He's a bail bondsman. James Adell Baugh, 47, is the owner of One Hour Bail Bond.

Police arrested Baugh in connection with the shooting death of 19-year-old Danny Moore. The incident happened at 3414 Deerfield Road in Huntsville on Thursday night. Police responded around 11:30 p.m. and found Moore dead.

Police say Baugh and others had gone to the home to look for Moore, because Moore had failed to appear in court. Because Moore missed his court date, Baugh, the bail bondsman, was responsible for Moore's $60,000 bond. Police haven't commented on what happened that resulted in Moore being shot.

Baugh is in the Madison County Jail, awaiting bond. Police continue their investigation. They did recover a shotgun from the scene, but it's not known if it was used in the incident.

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Dog the Bounty Hunter on Call in Case Lindsay Lohan Jumps Bail

Dog the Bounty Hunter, the bail bondsman from Hawaii and sometimes Colorado has been put on high alert that his services may be needed in Los Angeles in case Lindsay Lohan decides to jump bail. Lohan is scheduled to appear in court later this week for a hearing to decide her fate after recently failing two drug tests."

If Ms. Lohan stays in town this time and shows up as scheduled, there will be no need to call Dog in on the matter," claims a spokesperson for A&E, the channel which airs the "Dog the Bounty Hunter" reality series.

"Normally, we wouldn't allow Dog to get caught up in such high profile cases as the Lindsay Lohan matter, but ever since he brought in Randy and Evi Quaid earlier this year when the Quaids failed to show for a scheduled court date, Dog has become the bail bondsman to the stars."

"When asked what he was going to do if he is asked to bring Lindsay Lohan to justice, Dog had this to say, "You know me, I'm the Dog. I know law enforcement. I've been on both sides. I know drugs, I've taken them and I haven't taken them.

Ask Beth, she'll tell ya just who we're talking about. This little lady is going to hell in a hand basket unless she gets with the program. Ask Beth, she'll tell ya. She'll tell Lindsay. She's the go to person for this, just ask her. She'll tell ya."

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Bail Bondsman Says he Lost Job Over Aid to Slain Officer

A veteran law enforcement officer turned bail bond solicitor says his attempts to aid a fatally wounded Jackson policeman last month cost him his job.

But the local bond agency he worked for says the man quit after a series of problems and is now in violation of a contract because he works for a competing agency.

Resolution of that dispute is now before a Hinds County chancery judge.

Mike Ivy, who also is a volunteer firefighter in Terry, says he was giving CPR to officer Glen Agee on the night of Aug. 6 while one of his bosses at David Moore

Bonding repeatedly called his cell phone. Agee was fatally wounded when he chased after and then tussled with escaped prisoner Latwan Smith in a ravine less than a mile from the Hinds County Detention Center in Raymond. Smith had escaped from the patrol car en route to the jail.

When Ivy finally returned the missed calls, he got into a heated discussion with the supervisor which Ivy says led to his immediate termination.

"He told me I wasn't a cop any longer and when he calls I should answer the phone,"

Ivy said. "I told him if he thought I'd stop doing CPR on anybody, much less a police officer, and answer the phone he was wrong."

Ivy then went to work for American National Bail Bonding in Raymond but soon found himself in court after his former employer sought a restraining order.

David Moore, owner of David Moore Bonding in Ridgeland, testified Wednesday in a Hinds County Chancery Court hearing that Ivy began working for his agency in March. And while Ivy's years of experience in law enforcement made him an attractive hire, Moore said he began to notice trouble.

"Mike was not answering his phone when we tried to call him. He seemed to have a lot of absenteeism," Moore said. "At one point, he had indicated wanting to get back in law enforcement."

Moore also said one of his partners told Ivy he was fired the night of Aug. 6, but

Moore vetoed the firing and tried to work with Ivy to find a solution so he could remain at the agency.

However, Ivy quit, said Moore.

Now Moore contends Ivy's work for American National Bonding is in violation of a "non-compete" contract he signed that stipulates he cannot compete for bonds in a 120-mile radius of Jackson for at least two years.

The case is before Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas.


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Man Accused of Duping Bondsman Arrested, Again

A New London man accused of kidnapping and stabbing his estranged wife in Bridgeport has been arrested after posting bail using a fake letter from a dead lawyer, police said.

Eric Stiggle, 39, was released from prison on Monday after convincing a bondsman to put up the more than $1.3 million bail on Monday based on a bogus letter from a dead lawyer, the Connecticut Post reports.

On Tuesday, Stiggle, who is awating trial on the alleged incident involving his wife, missed his court date.

Officers say Stiggle stabbed his ex-wife in Bridgeport on May 30 and forced her into a car. The chase ended the following day, when he crashed his car in New York during a chase that started in Holyoke, Mass. The woman survived.




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Neptune Man Facing Assault, Weapons Charges After Bail Bondsman Turns Him In

ASBURY PARK — A 26-year-old man is facing weapons charges in the city after he was arrested by Ocean Township police for allegedly failing to pay fines, police said.

Just before 5 p.m. last Thursday, Lawrence Brown, of Neptune, was turned in at the Ocean Township police headquarters by his bail bonds company after he failed to pay a loitering fine from Feb. 20, according to Ocean Township Lt. Steven Peters.


"Brown was arrested for hindering his own apprehension when he gave a false name during a motor vehicle stop, but a judge amended the charge to loitering," Peters said. "He never paid the fine."

The Ocean Township warrant for his arrest was issued Aug. 25, according to Peters. On Thursday, he was held on $1,078 bail, which he was unable to pay.


Asbury Park police also had a warrant out for Brown's arrest. When they learned Brown was arrested in Ocean Township, they charged him with aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.


On Aug. 26, at about 1:23 a.m., Brown approached a Saturn parked near 400 Ridge Ave. in Asbury Park, which had a 17-year-old girl inside, and smacked a handgun against the window of the car, according to city Detective Lt. Mary Bulsiewicz.


The girl, whose name is not being released because she is a minor, got scared and reversed the car into a tree before shifting into drive and speeding past Brown, Bulsiewicz said.


The girl flagged down a police officer, who was around the corner at Ridge and Washington avenues, and reported the incident, according to Bulsiewicz. She identified Brown by photographs.


Brown was taken to Monmouth County Jail, Freehold Township, where he is being held on bail set at $100,000.


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