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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Department of Insurance has revoked the licenses of veteran Shaker Heights bail bondsman Charles C. Brown Sr. and two companies he owns, citing violations of state law and incompetence.
The department said a Brown company hired a man to do bail recovery work who was not licensed as a bail bond agent in Ohio; that Brown improperly transferred to his agency a house that had been used as bond collateral; and that he failed to provide records sought in three insurance department subpoenas.
Brown and his company Chuck Brown Bail Bonds Inc., "have demonstrated incompetence in the conduct of surety bail bond business in the State of Ohio," said a hearing officer's report and recommendation.
The Insurance Department also said that Brown's namesake company and his Universal Bail Bonds, Inc. had failed to be in good standing with the Ohio Secretary of State.
Records show that the Secretary of State's office canceled both companies' articles of incorporation in 2007 for failing to file necessary tax reports or make timely tax payments.
Chuck Brown Bail Bonds was not reinstated by the Secretary of State's office until last summer, but continued to operate while its charter was terminated; Universal's has never been reinstated, the report said.
As a result of the insurance law violations, Brown and the two companies "are unsuitable to continue to be licensed as insurance agents in the State of Ohio," the report said.
Neither Brown nor his lawyer could be reached for comment. But the lawyer has indicated to the insurance department that an appeal is planned.
Bond agents earn fees by putting up money to get accused criminals released pending trial.
Nearly 70 years old, Brown is a longtime bondsman and was at one time president of the Cuyahoga County Bail Bondsmen Association.
By at least 2007, he had developed significant health problems that kept him away from his business office, the report said.
In an interview Thursday Brown's son Chad said that because of his illness and resulting absence from work, his dad hadn't known about the 2007 hiring of the worker whose employment became one reason for the revocation.
Chad Brown -- who was working for his dad at the time -- said he didn't hire the man, but thought he had the appropriate license for his work since he was doing fugitive recovery and not working as a bondsman.
But the state report said that wasn't the case.
And the insurance department said Brown had no reason to take the house that had been used as collateral since there were no issues with the bond. The owner got his house back after state Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson intervened, according to the department.
Finally the department said, it subpoenaed Brown's records three times in 2008, but he failed to provide what was requested.
In a separate case the insurance department also revoked the surety bail bond insurance license of Robert C. Roberts of Solon, saying he had violated an earlier department order prohibiting him from engaging in any part of the apprehension of a fugitive who defaulted on a bond. Neither Roberts nor his lawyer could not be reached for comment.
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Steve Faircloth
A Way Out Bail Bonds
(220) 204-9733 Cell
NSIN# SF0105
LIC. #704058
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