AG: You can't be a bounty hunter in RI

AG: You can't be a bounty hunter in RI
2:34 PM Thu, Jun 11, 2009 | Permalink
Thomas J. Morgan Email
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The two "bounty hunters" who tangled with police and ended up under arrest after they plied their new trade in Woonsocket by allegedly forcing their way into a woman's apartment and handcuffing her have a problem with state law, the state Attorney General's Office said Thursday.

The problem? There is no law authorizing people to act as bounty hunters in Rhode Island, according to Michael J. Healey, spokesman for Attorney General Patrick Lynch.

"They're vigilantes," Healey said. "There is folklore about what bounty hunters are and what they do. These guys are not bounty hunters, because there is no law regulating bounty hunters in Rhode Island. They are subject to the same laws as everybody else, one of which is not breaking into and forcing your way into somebody's home without the tenant's or owner's consent."

Brandon Johnson, 36, and Ronald Cervantes, 39, both of 620 Elm St., Woonsocket, surrendered to Woonsocket police on Tuesday and were charged with assault and breaking and entering.

Johnson and Cervantes told Woonsocket Det. Thomas Calouro that they decided to start a company to apprehend fugitives. Calouro said they went to an online source called beabountyhunter.com and paid $235, for which they received bounty hunter badges and identification cards.

Then, according to the police, they went to the home of Rebecca Ball, 18, of 90 Blackstone St., Woonsocket, took her into custody and delivered her to the headquarters of the Cumberland police, where she was wanted on a warrant for failing to appear in court on an assault charge.

Johnson was released on bail pending a future court appearance.

The prosecution however sought to have Cervantes held without bail because of his criminal record and his status as a probation violator.

But Magistrate Patrick Burke set bail at $10,000, meaning Cervantes would have to post $1,000 in cash to gain his release. It was not known whether he made bail.

Healey said that Cervantes was convicted in 1991 of sexual assault in Westerly, after which he received a five-year suspended sentence. In 2002 he was convicted of first-degree sex assault, also a Westerly case, he said.

In the latter case Cervantes pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 20 years, with eight to serve.

That conviction marked him as a sex offender who is required to register with the police department that has jurisdiction over his house or apartment.

Lt. Eugene Jalette of the Woonsocket police said that Cervantes has complied with the registration law.

His next court appearance is scheduled for June 23 in Superior Court.

As for Ball, the woman who was handcuffed and delivered to the Cumberland police, it turns out that the warrant on which she was sought required here to pay $93 after her case was adjudicated.

"That's a minor fee," Healey said. "The approach they took was just a bit out of proportion, to understate it."

_________________
Frank (Bear) Abramovitz – Director
Abramovitz & Doyle Investigations & Recoveries
New England Instituter Of Bail Enforcement & COBRA Academy of Bail Enforcement
COBRA Life Member #002

Est. 1970 - Licensed / Bonded by State of New Hampshire
124 Baker St Manchester , NH 03103
Tel: (603) 232-7447 & 606-1166/ Fax: (603) 606-1543 / Cell (603) 361-7510

ANOTHER PART OF THE STORY AND THESE SO CALLED FOOLS ARE LISTED ON THE RI SECTION OF THE FORUM AND THEY GO BY NEW ENGLAND BOUNTY LOOK UNDER RI SECTION AS BOB BURTON AND I SAY WE ARE THE ONLY APPROVED SCHOOL IN THE NEW ENGLAND AREA AND ALL OUR COURSES ARE APPROVED BY (PBUS)

WOONSOCKET — Call it a mutiny on the bounty hunters.

Woonsocket police said on Tuesday that two men who purchased “bounty hunter” credentials from an online source have been charged with assault and breaking and entering for forcing their way into an apartment and taking a Woonsocket woman into custody on May 7.

“We’re still knocking our heads on this,” commented Lt. Eugene Jalette of the Woonsocket police. “We’ve never seen this before.”

The woman, Rebecca Ball, 18, of 90 Blackstone St., was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear in District Court on a charge of assault.

Jalette said the men handcuffed Ball and drove her to Cumberland police headquarters, where bail commissioner Richard Finnegan released her pending a court appearance.

Officers in Cumberland recommended that Ball go to the Woonsocket police to file a complaint, Jalette said.

She did just that the next day, Jalette said.

Detective Thomas Calouro of the Woonsocket police began looking into the matter. He reported that the “bounty hunters,” Brandon Johnson, 36, and Ronald Cervantes, 39, both of 620 Elm St., decided to start a company to apprehend fugitives. He said they went to an online source called beabountyhunter.com and paid $235, for which they received bounty hunter badges and identification cards.

“They sure look official,” Jalette said of the ID paraphernalia, “but they’re not.”

Once armed with their credentials, Johnson, Cervantes and three companions went to Ball’s apartment and took Ball into custody.

Calouro obtained arrest warrants for Johnson and Cervantes. They turned themselves in on Tuesday. Johnson was released on bail. Cervantes was held as a probation violator from a Superior Court case about which details were lacking.

Jalette said no action was taken against the other three individuals because they played only a minor role and the police could not prove they had criminal intent.

Of the bounty hunter caper, Jalette said, “It’s quite unique.”

tmorgan@projo.com

_________________
Frank (Bear) Abramovitz – Director
Abramovitz & Doyle Investigations & Recoveries
New England Instituter Of Bail Enforcement & COBRA Academy of Bail Enforcement
COBRA Life Member #002

Est. 1970 - Licensed / Bonded by State of New Hampshire
124 Baker St Manchester , NH 03103
Tel: (603) 232-7447 & 606-1166/ Fax: (603) 606-1543 / Cell (603) 361-7510

Wanna-be bounty hunter
is sex offender
Ronald Cervantes has lengthy rap
sheet
Updated: Wednesday, 10 Jun 2009, 6:57 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 10 Jun 2009, 12:11 PM EDT

Tim White
WOONSOCKET, R.I. (WPRI) - One of the two men arrested Tuesday for trying to jump-start a bounty hunter business in Rhode Island, is a level III sex offender with a lengthy rap-sheet.

Ronald Cervantes, 39 of Woonsocket, was charged Tuesday with breaking and entering and assault after police say he and another man forced their way into the apartment of an 18 year-old woman. The woman, Rebecca Ball, had an outstanding warrant out of Cumberland.

According to the Rhode Island Parole Board, Cervantes is a registered level III sex offender, deemed "most likely to re-offend." Which, according to court documents, is exactly what he did in 2001.

Cervantes was charged with third degree sexual assault in 1991 and then charged again with first degree sexual assault in 2001. The Parole Board says the victims were 14 and 16 year-old girls.

According to Rhode Island General Laws , bounty hunters must be registered as private detectives with their city or town and must notify the chief of police if they are operating in their town. The law also states a person cannot be a private detective if they have been convicted of a felony within the last 10 years.

The Target 12 Investigators checked with Woonsocket Police and confirmed neither Cervantes nor his business partner, 36-year-old Brandon Johnson, registered with the city as private detectives.

Though it is a crime to operate as a bounty hunter without registering, neither man has been charged with that felony.

"We don't have the case from the police yet," said Mike Healey, spokesperson for the Attorney General's office. "As for a felony charge for not being a private detective, that will definitely be a consideration."

The law states private detectives are not allowed to forcibly enter a dwelling without a police escort. Investigators say Cervantes and Johnson did just that, then drove Ball to the Cumberland police and dropped her off. After Ball made bail on her outstanding simple assault charge, she turned around and filed a complaint against her apprehenders with the Woonsocket Police Department.

Cervantes and Johnson told authorities they were trying to establish a business called "New England Bounty Hunters." Target 12 checked with the Rhode Island Secretary of State's office and discovered that business name is not registered with the state.

The pair told police they purchased badges and bounty hunter cards from a website for $235.

Cervantes and Johnson turned themselves into police June 9th. They were both charged with simple assault and battery and breaking into a dwelling house without consent.

Johnson was released. Cervantes is being held as a probation violator.

Target 12 Investigative producer Nick Domings contributed to this report.

ANOTHER PART OF THE STORY AND THESE SO CALLED FOOLS ARE LISTED ON THE RI SECTION OF THE FORUM AND THEY GO BY NEW ENGLAND BOUNTY LOOK UNDER RI SECTION AS BOB BURTON AND I SAY WE ARE THE ONLY APPROVED SCHOOL IN THE NEW ENGLAND AREA AND ALL OUR COURSES ARE APPROVED BY (PBUS)

???????????????????? ....... ....

_________________
Yak .... H.B.I.C.
Riverside Enforcement
Hackensack NJ 07601
Ph. (201) 538 - 2947
Fax (201) 342 - 5405

These so called recovery agents took the on line course and they go by the name of New England Bounty Hunters in RI as i have said in the past just a few more wanna bees to be added to the list of fools i don't blame the Admin of the forum for allowing them to post there business but i think if they want to post as i have said in the past they should supply there business certificate and proof that they are a legal business and not just a wannabes who know nothing about the way the business is done .

A on line course what a joke

And any school that gives out a badge and id should be hung just like the fools out of NY USRB what right does any school have to give out badges and id cards at least i can say when Frank and Bob teach a course they check on the people taking the course and they don't issue any kind of badge the school that gave them the bade and id should be hung also and no on line course is worth the money these people pay for

I will say this when we posted our courses on this forum there was a couple who told everybody to check out the course and make sure we were approved to teach at least we are and we are also approved by the State of NH and PBUS so all i can say is before they tell all to watch out for our course you should tell them that the on line courses are not worth a penny and are not worth there time to take to me anyone who sells a on line course is wasting there money

Jason
I would caution you to know of whom and what you speak, as liable is compensable in a court of law. Do not confuse loyalty to your group, which is commendable, as a license to speak of what you do not know.

Scott Harrell's online courses are approved by many states as continuing education. His experience as a successful investigator, educator, public speaker and bail enforcement agent is above and beyond reproach. The level and quality of material presented by this individual and his companies is exemplary.

Why do I defend him? Because I have taken his classes in person in Texas as well as online, and made them a requirement of those that work for me. I have presented with Mr. Harrell and others with similar reputations before some of the brightest minds in this industry, and he was always received as a recognized expert and completely surrounded as a celebrity after his presentations.

Scott

_________________
R.E. "Scott" MacLean III

"Leaders are like Eagles, you never see them in a flock, but one at a time"

Chesapeake Group Investigations, Inc.
Chesapeake Bail Bonds
877-574-0500
301-392-1100 (fax)
301-392-1900 (Office)

I have taken Mr. Harrell courses and frequent his site....I knew that I had never seen or heard about "his" badges.
(Copied to another thread)

_________________
********************
Thomas SnoWolf
FRN# 1999
GAPB 20120726
NSIS ST0707
http://www.rocksolidrg.com
"The hero is not the man that acts without fear,
He is the man that acts inspite of fear"

_________________
Heritage and Profession Together

J.G. Marshall
MARSHALL FUGITIVE SERVICE
Lic. # 2008-392
Moderator


Its the Irish in my mind that keeps me sane,
and the Irish in my heart that keeps me strong.

NOTE TO ALL I WAS NOT TALKING ABOUT SCOTT HARRELL AND I SPEAK MY MIND AS I HAVE SAID IN THE PAST AND A LOT OF YOU HAVE SAID THE SAME THING There are "online" courses out there that are bogus ALSO NOTE AS I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST AND STILL SEE IT NO ONE CAN SAY ANYTHING ON THIS FORUM WITH OUT GETTING RIPPED UP AND DOWN JUST LIKE YOU PEOPLE HAVE DONE TO FRANK NONE OF YOU KNOW HIM AND YET YOU HAVE RIPPED HIM UP AND DOWN FOR NO REASON AT ALL JUST LIKE IT WHEN WE POSTED OUR COURSES FOR THE NEW ENGLAND AREA

AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION FRANK HAS TOLD US ANYONE WHO WANTS A ON LINE COURSE TO CALL SCOTT AND AS I WAS TOLD BY FRANK HE KNOW FOR A FACT THAT SCOTT DOES NOT SELL BADGES AND ID CARDS

I tried to post this a bit earlier but for some reason it did not make the board...

I'd like to make a couple of things VERY clear:

1. Neither Brandon Johnson nor Ronald Cervantes are training clients of ours.
2. We have never sold badges or identification cards. N.E.V.E.R.

They are obviously mistaken about where they obtained these items or they are two very desperate men irrationally looking for a lifeline. When these allegations are proven to be patently false, there will be repercussions for dragging our otherwise spotless reputation and good name through the mud.

In an online newscast about the incident they showed a copy of the ID's which say Bounty Hunter across the top with "Association of International Bounty Hunters" underneath... can anyone identify the source of these cards? http://www.abc6.com/news/47357197.html

Seeing my name in all of these news stories and my website on a newscast is a bit disconcerting but a famous marketer once said:

"All press is good press."

"There is no such thing as bad press."

"Bad press is better than no press."


-Scott

_________________
Scott H.