I received these emails over the last 2 days. I had not heard of this activity before. Now I wonder if this can spread if the word gets out.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/warrant-collec ... 89378.htmlIf someone would have told me this was happening I would not have believed
it until I witnessed it for myself. I bailed Augustin Leonardo Gonzalez
from the North Las Vegas Detention Center on a NLV Municipal case at 1200
Noon. He had a hold for the City of Las Vegas, and I was waiting for him to
get transported so that I could also do that bail.
At 6:00 PM the family gets a call in my office on their cell phone from a
City of Las Vegas Marshall later identified as Officer Bowler P#422 telling
the family that if they bring him $400 right now to the corner of Civic
Center and Lake Mead at the Taco Bell that he will let the Def.
Augustin Leonardo Gonzalez go. I'm in the office working and I over hear
all this going on. I told the family member that I would go with them to
the corner and meet with this officer.
I show up to the corner of Civic Center and Lake Mead at the Taco Bell and I
see a City of Las Vegas Marshall unit backed into a spot. I parked my
vehicle and walk up to the police vehicle, I can see that the officer was on
his cell phone. He rolls down his window while still on the phone and
asks me "how can I help you?". I introduce myself to the officer and
explain that I own Aztec Bail Bonds which bailed out Def. Augustin Leonardo
Gonzalez from the North Las Vegas Detention Center. I can see that there
was a prisoner in the back seat of the police vehicle and I also told the
officer that the person in the back seat is my defendant and I have been
waiting for him to be transported to Las Vegas City Jail so that I can
proceed to bail him out. I asked the officer "did you just
extort money from the family?". We're not in Mexico here we are in Las
Vegas and did I hear correctly that you need a payment of $400 in order to
release Def. Augustin Leonardo Gonzalez? The officer later identified to me
at Officer Bowler P#422 said "Yes, that is correct, as of July 1, 2010 the
Las Vegas City Marshall's office and Metro Police are accepting payments out
in the field", we then give the people a new court date 30 days from today's
date to have their matter resolved.
I then witnessed the employer of the defendant pull out a credit card and
hand it to Officer Bowler P#422 who then went into his police vehicle and
proceeded to make a phone call. I waited and a few minutes later Officer
Bowler P#422 came up to the employer and handed him a small blue card with a
new court date of 09-16-10 and explained that Defendant Augustin Leonardo
Gonzalez had until that date to have his cases resolved or he would be in
warrant again.
I explained to the family that I still believed that doing a bail out in the
street by a law enforcement officer should be considered extortion in my
eyes. They just told me that since Defendant Augustin Leonardo Gonzalez was
going to be released right now, that's all they wanted.
*** My opinion***
The officer conducted this bail under color of authority which is a crime.
The officer was in violation of NRS 697.090 License required. A person in
this state shall not act in the capacity of a bail agent, or perform any of
the functions, duties, or powers prescribed for a bail agent, unless that
person is qualified and licensed. The Commissioner may impose an
administrative fine of not more that $1,000 for each act or violation
The officer was in violation of NRS 697.340(2) The following persons may not
be bail agents, bail enforcement agents or bail solicitors and shall not,
directly or indirectly, receive any benefits from the execution of any bail:
a. Jailers
b. Police Officers
c. Justices of the peace
d. Municipal judges
e. Sheriffs, deputy sheriffs and constables
f. Any person having the power to arrest or having anything to do with
the
control of federal, state, county or municipal prisoners
As a bail bond owner I was never notified by Las Vegas Municipal Court that
this was going to be enacted as of July 1, 2010
Manny Ceballos
Aztec Bail Bonds
235 N. EASTERN AVE, SUITE 104
Las Vegas, NV 89101
702-451-2245 Office
702-429-7333 Cell
702-450-3900 Fax
