FL Bondsman arrested

This guy takes the prize..


http://www.wesh.com/news/23105237/detail.html

Bondsmen Face Charges Of Impersonating Cops
Women Claim Bondsmen Terrorized Them
POSTED: 4:08 pm EDT April 9, 2010
UPDATED: 4:57 pm EDT April 9, 2010

Two women said they were terrorized and thought a couple of men coming after them were police officers.

One man was arrested, and authorities said they're looking for another man.

Detectives said a couple of bail bondsmen, who are supposed to bring people in if they skip their court dates, went over the top when they went looking for clients who broke the rules.

Police said the bondsmen led people to believe they had more power than the law allows.

A 22-year-old woman was so scared that she asked not to have her identity revealed.

"I was more frightened than upset," the woman said.

Major Lanier is accused of grabbing the woman from her job and forcing her into a car for hours. She had signed for a bail bond for a friend, and when the bondsman went looking for him, police said they illegally used her to try to locate her friend.

"They produced handcuffs and told her to put her hands behind her back, at which time she felt that she was under arrest and had to go in their car with them," Lake Mary Police Department Detective Matt Schaefer said.

The law doesn't allow them to do that, and they can't let people think they are police officers when they are not.

"They had tactical vests, they had badges around their neck, and were wearing guns, and she had every reason to believe they were law enforcement," Schaefer said.

"I feel like this is a Sanford situation. It normally is," Lanier said.

Lanier said the accusations are trumped up. His attorney said the case will fall apart.

"They have every right in the world to go and apprehend people -- to use force to apprehend people. The allegation that they forced someone else into a custodial situation is garbage," Attorney Hal Uhrig said.

Bail bondsmen can legally get physical when going after people who skip out on bonds. But they cannot, police said, use the same tactics with people who have only pledged the cash to back it up.

"No bondsman has the right to kick doors down," Sanford Police Department Detective Rich Ayala said.

The women said three men played a role in the false imprisonment case. Police are still searching for one of those men.

The women said the sport utility vehicle had tinted windows, a laptop mounted in the front, and they thought they faced arrest.

Lanier is being held without bond. Copyright 2010 by WESH.COM. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,

_________________
Kate
650.863.8470

" Yeah, I see ya, you ding dong..."

Interesting story if in fact it is true. This is a good one to watch for further details.

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Domestic Security Investigations
P.O. Box 4462
Rockville, MD 20849
Tel: 1-800-387-0787
Anti-Moral Majority Club President
"Fear not the unknown, Fear the person who controls the unknown" Gene 7:14

Just an observation on the facts as presented;



"Reason to believe"... but did they "STATE" or "ANNOUNCE" themselves as police or did their badge or writing on their dress say anything about law enforcement?



That is the bottom line... big difference between the defendant/fugitive and indemnitor. I certainly will put pressure on the indemnitor to give up the defendant but physical pressure of any kind is absolutely forbidden.



There are many, many bondsmen and BEA people that are outfitted like this and unfortunately it certainly does portray the bondsmen or BEA as law enforcement but the markings on the vehicle as well as the uniforms worn by the members of the BEA/bondsmens team are all a part of this type scenario.

Compliance within each state is different, Florida for example, has no BEA's as such... you can enter the state as the licensed bondsman (compliant in your home state) on a case or you can work with a licensed PI or licensed bondsman in Florida. I found this out several years ago while on a case I had in the sunshine state. I had no particular problems with LE but I will say I did not show up in "battle dress" and I had all my paperwork in order and I did not face any problems at all...

These types of scenarios will continue to take place as more and more enter our field... we can only strive to overcome the negative press that will continue to rain upon us.

There will always be members of our profession that believe we have a constitutional right to enter "any" state and arrest "anyone" that they are tracking, but unfortunately that is certainly not the case and it begs to solidify the main law of our business.... "read and know the laws in each state that you operate in and be compliant or face the consequences... period"

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Bill Marx, Sr.
"FREE STATE BAIL BONDS"
"FREE STATE INVESTIGATIONS"
DCJS: 99-176979
Cell: 434-294-0222

"Endeavor to Persevere" "Lone Watie"

"Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that , comes from bad judgment" "Will Rogers"

That would be the reaction of the "Reasonalbe Man" and exactly what the Jury would hear. NObody is going to slow down and LOOK at the Badge . . . all they are seeing is the visual infront of them. Bill, you are right there will always be IDIOTS that run around like this anywhere they want just because they think that they can. The very importance of knowing the Laws of the area into which you are entering.

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