Fugitive Recovery School Owners Arrested for Badges

Ralph Rios and Robert Neves, owners of a bounty hunter training school called US Recovery Bureau, were arrested by federal authorities for distributing badges and credentials that… “give the impression that they were issued by actual government law enforcement agencies because, among other reasons, (a) the badge is in the same shape as a New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) Detective badge; (b) the badge bears a seal with a bald eagle that is a facsimile of the great seal of the United States; (c) the badge reads “U.S. Recovery Bureau” and under the seal is the word “Agent” and a badge serial number; (d)the badge is in a leather wallet that also holds credentials that are the same shape and size as federal law enforcement credentials and identify the graduate as a “Special Agent” of the “U.S. Recovery Bureau”; (e) the credentials bear an emblem in the center of the card that is a facsimile of the great seal of the United States; and (f) the credentials lack any clear indication that they are not issued by a governmental organization.”

According to the US Department of Justice’s press release, law enforcement authorities have arrested multiple graduates of U.S. Recovery Bureau for using the credentials issued by the school. On some occasions, students have used their school-issued credentials to try to avoid tickets and other law enforcement actions. In other cases, students have used the credentials to try to access secure government buildings. In at least one case, students have used the school-issued credentials to impersonate law enforcement officers in order to effectuate robberies. Of approximately 943 students who received credentials from U.S. Recovery Bureau, at least 78 were convicted felons at the time they took the U.S. Recovery Bureau course.

Nieves is out on a $50,000 bond and Rios is out on a $25,000 bond.

New Missouri Bail Association Formed

That’s right, there’s a new kid in town. In response to the legislative threats last legislative session, several bail bond agents around the state met together to oppose legislation sponsored by the MPBBA which would transfer the DIFP’s authority to a bail bond board. In order fund the new board, the bill required a new $10 bail bond tax. The group received tremendous help from concerned agents who collected hundreds of signatures opposing the legislation. The bill failed, the session ended, and the group decided to form a bail association. In June, Associated Bail Agents of Missouri, Inc. (ABAM) was formed. The association is a non-profit trade association. Bart Cooper serves as the association president, Stan Clark as vice-president, Dave Strassner as treasurer, and Angela Park as secretary. The board of directors are Tina Bozarth, Dan Mense, Stan Moreland, Mike Thomas and Jim Walker. Rick Adams serves as chair of membership. ABAM will work as legislative watch-dogs in the upcoming session and will give bondsmen and recovery agents a new choice in order to network cooperatively with their colleagues in the industry. This new, spirited association is working on other goals to improve our industry and give us all more opportunities to grow our businesses.

To learn more about this new organization, contact any of the bondsmen above, email me, or here’s a link to their membership application.

Former Bondsman Sentenced

Former bondsman Gregory Tetro was sentenced in US District Court in Jefferson City to four years probation after pleading guilty to one count of attempting to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. Tetro was also assessed a $100 fine. Tetro’s bail bond licensed expired late in 2007 and has not been renewed.

Previous Posts:

Bondsman to be Sentenced
Bondsman Faces Federal Charges

Services Announced for General Agent

General bondsman Gary L. Darby passed away Friday, July 11th. Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 15th, from 4-8 pm at the Nieburg Martin Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held Wednesday at the Warrenton City Cemetery at 10 am. Gary Darby was licensed as a bail bond agent in 2003 and was licensed as a general agent in 2007.

MN-Family Celebrates 100 Years In Bail Business

Here's a great story from St. Paul, MN. Goldberg Bail Bonds celebrated 100 years in the bail bond business. The family business has been passed down from one generation to another since 1908.

Bondsman Dies in Accident

Bondsman Brian John Bender, 35, died following an automobile accident near Pleasanton, Kansas. Brian worked for Freedom Bonding in Kansas City. His companion, Amber Gust, also lost her life in the accident. Visitation for Brian and Amber will be held from 6-8 p.m. Monday, June 9, at the Park Lawn Northland Chapel in Liberty. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, at St. Therese Catholic Church, 7277 N.W. 9 Hwy., Parkville. In lieu of flowers, you may honor Brian and Amber's memories with a memorial donation to a fund for Brian's children, Christopher, Dawson and Kaden. Donations may be made payable to their grandfather, James W. Bender, and left at the funeral home or the church. He previously worked as an Emergency Medical Technician for the New York City Fire Department and later for MAST in Kansas City. Arrangements by: Park Lawn Northland Chapel in Liberty. Online condolences may be sent via http://www.parklawnfunerals.com/.

DIFP Issues Cease and Desist

The DIFP has issued another cease and desist order prohibiting Regina Muwwakkil and all those writing under her authority to cease writing bail without demonstrating to the State that Muwwakkil has a CD assigned to the State of Missouri in the amount of $25,000. The order also directs Muwwakkil to pay $544.16 to cover the costs of the DIFP’s investigation and fines her $3,500 for violating the insurance laws.

The order states the Muwwakkil’s certificate of deposit was forwarded to Jackson County Circuit Court last September. After the DIFP was notified the CD had been attached, the department gave Muwwakkil several weeks to replace it. The DIFP issued a statement of charges against her on November 1st. In December, the department alleges they told Muwwakkil that she nor her agents could write bonds until the CD was replaced. The DIFP’s order states that in December and January Muwwakkil’s company wrote at least seven more bonds. In January, the department issued a cease and desist order. In February the cease and desist order was vacated. In May the matter came up for a hearing and Muwwakkil was assessed a fine, the costs of the investigation, and another cease and desist order was issued.

Previous coverage:
DIFP Orders General Agent to Cease Writing Bail 1/5/2008

Bondsman Fined in Licensing Issue

The DIFP reports that bondsman Michael McMahon, of Camdenton, paid a voluntary fine of $200 for department allegations of use of fraud, deception, misrepresentation or bribery in securing a bail bond license. McMahon was licensed as a general agent in May. He has held a bail bond license since 2003.

LA-Judges & Bondsman Guilty of Bribery

Two Caddo Parish, Louisiana judges were convicted by a federal jury last week of several charges involving corruption for taking bribes to reduce bonds, recall arrest warrants and remove probation holds on defendants.. The racketeering charges ranged from bribery and official misconduct to interstate commerce. The FBI began its investigation in 2003. The operation was enhanced in May 2007 when the FBI tapped cell phones. The two judges, Michael Walker and Vernon Claville, were convicted of offenses related to taking bribes from a middleman hired by bondsman Larry Williams. Williams pleaded guilty to one count of public bribery in exchange for testifying against the two judges. Each judge faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.

According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance website, Williams' bail bond license is inactive although he holds a valid appointment with Allegheny Casualty Company.

My previous post:
LA Bondsman and Judges Indicted

Commission Worried About Housing Illegals

As reported yesterday, a bill passed this year requiring that suspected illegal immigrants held in county jails in Missouri must prove their lawful presence in the US in order to be eligible for bail. The Pulaski County Commission recently discussed the impact of this legislation on county budgets. The commissioners are worried about the cost of housing these prisoners. “They didn’t cut us any slack on per diem for prisoners, but here they are with this illegal immigration bill deal saying bail will be denied for people suspected to be illegal aliens until they can provide proof of legal residence in the United States,” Commissioner Bill Farnham said. “Who is going to pay for that? Us or the feds?” Presiding Commissioner Bill Ransdall said he wasn’t sure. “If they are arrested on state charges, I assume it would be us who has to pay for it,” Ransdall said.

Bohrer Named Acting Director of DIFP

Governor Blunt announced that Linda Bohrer will serve as Acting Director of the DIFP.

Former Director Doug Ommen was appointed to a position with the Administrative Hearing Commission to serve as a hearing commissioner. His last day with the DIFP was May 31st.

End of Session Report

What passed and what didn’t

The legislative session ended a few weeks ago. Thankfully, the bail bond board bills did not pass. Here’s a summary of the bills and their status.

SB1247-Created a bail bond board and imposed a bail bond tax to finance the board. Never received a hearing.

HB2454-Created a bail bond board and imposed a bail bond tax. Never received a hearing.

SB869-Originally, this bill was to repeal the 15-year “Lee Clause” which allowed the licensing of felons in the bail industry, as long as the felony was over 15 years ago. The bill sought to remove the 15 year clause, stating that felons could be denied a license, regardless of when the felony conviction. An amendment was offered by MPBBA in committee. The bill died in committee.

HB1549-One bill affecting our profession did pass. HB1549 passed, which instructs the courts on bail for those persons residing in Missouri who are not legal residents of the US. The bill states that if a judge believes a person is unlawfully present in the US, there is a presumption that releasing that person under ANY condition will not reasonably assure appearance in court. The person shall be committed to jail until he/she can prove lawful presence or until the case is discharged.

Text of the HB1549
544.470. 1. If the offense is not bailable, or if the person does not meet the conditions for release, as provided in section 544.455, the prisoner shall be committed to the jail of the county in which the same is to be tried, there to remain until he be discharged by due course of law.
2. There shall be a presumption that releasing the person under any conditions as provided by section 544.455 shall not reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required if the circuit judge or associate circuit judge reasonably believes that the person is an alien unlawfully present in the United States. If such presumption exists, the person shall be committed to the jail, as provided in subsection 1 of this section, until such person provides verification of his or her lawful presence in the United States to rebut such presumption. If the person adequately proves his or her lawful presence, the circuit judge or associate circuit judge shall review the issue of release, as provided under section 544.455, without regard to previous issues concerning whether the person is lawfully present in the United States. If the person cannot prove his or her lawful presence, the person shall continue to be committed to the jail and remain until discharged by due course of law.

Dotson Found Guilty

Glen Dotson was found guilty today of conspiracy to commit murder and delivering a firearm to a known felon. Dotson’s trial began one week ago in US District Court in St. Louis. Dotson was found guilty of conspiring with Virgil Lee Jackson to murder competitor Gerald “Jerry” Cox. The jury reached a verdict of guilty on both counts and he was taken into federal custody. He will be sentenced at a later date. The sentence range is 10-14 years.

Glen Dotson and Virgil Lee Jackson, both formerly licensed bail bond agents, conspired to murder Cox in 2005. Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder last August and was sentenced to 10 years.

Story on KSDK 5/12/2008
STL Post Dispatch 5/12/2008

My Previous coverage:
Lee Jackson held on federal charges 4/1/2006
Dotson Arrested/New Charges for Jackson 6/2/2006
Dotson/Jackson trial postponed 6/8/2006
Arraignment 6/13/2006
Trial postponed again 10/28/2006
Dotson Freed on Bond 11/15/2006
Jackson Accused of Another Murder Plot 11/22/2006
January Trial Date Postponed 1/22/2007
March Date Postponed 3/19/2007
Jackson Pleads Guilty 8/13/2007
Dotson Faces New charges 8/27/2007
Jackson Sentenced 11/1/2007
Jackson's Bail License Revoked 2/8/2008

Show-Me Daily Blogs About Bail Industry

The Show-Me Daily Blog recently opined about the Riverfront Times article concerning the saga of Lee Jackson and the legislative activities of the MPBBA. The Show-me Daily is hosted by the Show-Me Institute, a Missouri public policy think tank. The posts encourage readers to read the whole Riverfront Times article and selects key quotes to demonstrate the history of the MPBBA and its political agenda.

In another post on the same site, blogger David Stokes writes of his support of private bail and the US system. The blog also posted an article concerning its thoughts on professional licensing in general. Stokes thinks that the bail industry is one of the industries that should have some sort of professional registration, although is not supportive of the idea of state regulatory bodies' relationships with trade associations because as he writes, "because existing firms will always try to use political muscle to limit their competition from the outside."

I encourage you to click the links for a different perspective from outside the bail industry.

Bail Agents Return Fire in Kansas City

The following report was posted on the Kansas City Star website:

Two bond agents looking for a bail jumper exchanged gunfire with a man Tuesday night inside a house in the 2600 block of Park Avenue. No one was hurt. Police said 13 people were in the home when the bond agents arrived to arrest a 34-year-old man who had skipped his court date, leaving the bond company responsible for his $2,000 bond. Someone slammed the door in the bond agents’ faces. As the agents tried to pry it open, someone inside began firing through the door. One agent fired one shot back. When police came, the home’s occupants surrendered. Detectives questioned two occupants, including the bail jumper. No charges were filed in the shooting, pending further investigation.

Ommen Nominated for AHC Commissioner

Last week, Governor Blunt issued a press release announcing he had nominated Department of Insurance Director Doug Ommen to the Administrative Hearing Commission. The term will run until 2014. The nomination is pending Missouri Senate confirmation.

AR: Man Charged w/ Impersonating a Marshal

An Arkansas man has been charged with impersonating a US Marshal. According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Jonathan Horton is not licensed as a bounty hunter or bondsman, but sometimes worked as a fugitive recovery agent for a bonding company. The report states that Horton tried to have police equipment installed in his truck and had announced himself as a federal marshal to area police officers as well as the public. The judge in the case has ordered Horton detained because he is considered a flight risk by the court because of his frequent moving from state to state.

Bondsmen: Helping Victims, Saving Taxpayer Money

Here's a great story from WBTW TV in South Carolina. It profiles the job of a bondsman and how that job saves taxpayer dollars and delivers accountability to the court system.

Boone County: Arrests Lead to Cash-Only Bonds

The Columbia Daily Tribune headlined a story yesterday, “Frequent arrests drive demand for cash-only bonds.” The article details the arrests two defendants in Boone County and reports the prosecutor’s move to revoke their surety bonds in favor of cash-only bonds. In both cases, the accused men had been arrested for assaulting women shortly after being released on surety bonds. The judge in the cases revoked the surety bonds posted and ordered the men held on bonds which were set at part cash-only and part surety.

The Columbia Daily Tribune has reported on several bail bond cases since the first of the year. Previously, the Tribune reported on a $750,000 bond posted in Boone County which resulted in a bond revocation and the changing of Boone County Court’s process of qualifying bondsmen who write bonds in the circuit.

CDT Coverage:
Frequent Arrests Drive Demand for Cash-only Bonds 4/19/2008
Murder Case Leads to New Bond Rules 2/6/2008
Murder Case Subject of Bail Squabble 1/24/2008

RFT: Bondsmen in the STL News

The Riverfront Times printed an article concerning the bail industry. The article reviews the history of Virgil Lee Jackson and his murder plot against local competitor Jerry Cox. The article also examines the legislative agenda of the Missouri Professional Bail Bond Association (MPBBA) and the representatives and senators who accepted money from them to change the bail laws to allow for the licensing of felons. MPBBA defended changing the law to accommodate Lee Jackson's criminal past, even though Jackson had been convicted of 8 felonies and spent 20 years in prison. According to the article, Jack Allison characterized Lee Jackson as a model employee. The article quoted Allison saying, "The whole time that Lee worked for me he was professional. He did everything the way you're supposed to do it." Jackson worked for Allison at the time he was arrested for the murder plot. Allison is on MPBBA's legislative committee and told the reporter that the association supports the licensing of felons and had no plans to remove the Lee Clause.