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Bounty Hunter Scheme Busted
What do you think about the recent arrest of the man accused of swindling people out of money to take a job as a bounty hunter?
a criminal justice major took his bait???? that's just sad....
neeNee24 @ 10:18 AM CDT, Aug 19, 2009
Seems like a lot of stuff like this is happening... Have you heard of Ashley Carman and Howard Brock? Don't ever buy magazines from these people. You will never get the magazines..
Rippedoff @ 10:06 AM CDT, Aug 19, 2009
They say there's a 'Sucker born every minute.' Need any more proof?
Jerry F. Abbott @ 10:04 AM CDT, Aug 19, 2009
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MADISON, AL - Police bust one man's alleged bounty hunter scheme in the city of Madison. It all centers around Rick Monteleone. Madison Police say he conned at least half a dozen people out of loads of money, promising them jobs as bounty hunters. Those jobs never materialized.
The case against Rick Monteleone started July 10, 2009 when Madison Police say they received their first complaint. After that, police say more continued to roll in. Investigators arrested Monteleone on Friday, August 14.
Madison Police talked about the case with WHNT NEWS 19. So did one of Monteleone's alleged victims.
"He took their money, and said he was going to give them badges," said Madison Police Sergeant Marc Bray.
Sgt. Bray says Monteleone concocted an elaborate scheme, offering bounty hunter jobs to unsuspecting people. They say he charged his victims $425 to become a bounty hunter and told them he'd provide them with the certification they needed.
"Nobody ever received any certifications," said Sgt. Bray. "Nobody ever received any work. No one received work at all. Once they paid, it was basically hard for them to get a hold of him."
"He had a good story," said Ashley Dearmond. "He had a story for everything." Dearmond says Monteleone scammed her.
The criminal justice major admits she took the bait.
"It was to pay $950 a week, great pay, you'd be gone through the week, and come back on the weekends," added Dearmond.
Dearmond is not alone. There are at least six other victims across north Alabama.
"People would find out about him by word of mouth, people who were looking for bounty hunter jobs," added Sgt. Bray.
He's even accused of using the United States Marshal's Office to gain people's trust.
"He never said he was part of the U.S. Marshal's Office, but saying he had contracts with them, made people believe there was some validity to the business," added Sgt. Bray.
Get this, though -- police say Monteleone seems to believe he's done nothing wrong.
"I think he's full of it. I don't know how he can honestly think that for himself," added Dearmond.
Madison Police say Monteleone is charged with six counts of theft of property by deception. Monteleone has already bonded out of jail.
WHNT NEWS 19 has learned that the U.S. Marshal's Office has started a preliminary investigation surrounding Monteleone's alleged actions. WHNT NEWS 19 has also learned this is not Monteleone's first run-in with the law. He has a lengthy arrest record, ranging from theft by deception to writing bad checks.
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