Bail Bonds Scam A Problem

While out on bail, defendants are trying to prepare their legal defense and put their lives back together. So when scam artists specifically target those out on bail, it can seem especially heartless. Some bail bonds companies in the Longview Washington area are reporting just that is happening.

A number of bail bonds agencies say they've been contacted by someone claiming to be local law enforcement and then asking for a list of all of the people they've written bail for in the past 24 hours. The scam artists take that information and contact the recently released asking for money in relation to the bail bonds that have been posted. They are told they will be returned to jail if they don't remit the additional payments.

The threat of returning to jail is a powerful motivator for a defendant. It is quite easy to envision a defendant or their loved ones readily paying whatever sum of money was asked by con men in this situation. 

Law enforcement reports it is a scam that is prevalent industry wide. Unfortunately, it seems to persist and is now taking its toll in Washington.

Bail Bondsman Has License Suspended For Referrals

Bail bondsman and attorneys have strict regulations about the ways in which they can refer business to each other. More aptly put, many states prohibit a bonds clients from being referred to a criminal defense attorney and vice versa.

A bail bondsman and a criminal defense attorney in Florida have recently felt the weight of those laws.
Matthew McDowell, a Fort Meyers attorney, had his license suspended for 10 days by the Florida Supreme Court. Alledgedly, he accepted clients recommended by Orin Opperman, who is a bail bondsman in Fort Myers. Mr. Mcdowell was also orderd to pay $1,725 to one of his former clients as restitution in addition to fees assessed by the Florida Bar.

For his part in the referral scheme, the owner of Alpha Omega Bail Bonds had his bail bond license suspended for a year by the Florida Department of Financial Services. Mr. Opperman was also accused of comingling funds between client collateral deposits and his business' operating funds. Mrs. Oppermann, who is also involved in Alpha Omega Bail Bonds had her license suspended for six months for referring clients to Matthew McDowell.
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Unlicensed Bail Bondsman Doesn't Get 2nd Chance

Bail bonds are one of the most highly regulated industries. The manner in which new bonds are solicited are strictly spelled out in state laws and those laws are typically watched by the various Departments of Insurance. While most people realize a bail bonds agent or bail bondsman needs a license. What most don't know is that employees of a bail bonding agency are supposed to have strict limits about the interaction they have clients.

Unforutantely this caught Onil Martinez in hot water recently. The Fort Myers bail bond agent was convicted last week for allowing an unauthorized person to work in a bail bond office. Martinez, who oversaw 2nd Chance Bail Bonds, is out on bond until the sentencing hearing,


Although this isn't Martinez's only run in with the law. He was originally arrested in February 2010 and charged with one count each of extortion, grand theft and criminal mischief and two counts of allowing an unlicensed bond agent to act as a bond agent. Authorities alleged he didn’t return a $90,000 bond collateral and destroyed the woman’s property, but prosecutors declined to pursue charges other than on the count for which he was convicted last week.


The charge of allowing an unlicensed person to act as a bondsman is a a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 14.