Florida bail bondsman accused of trading bonds for sexual favors released from jail, officials say
Bail bondsman accused of trading bonds for sex
A 75-year-old bail bondsman accused of trading bonds for sexual favors has been released from jail in Orange County, officials say. Russell Moncrief, who has run a bail bonds business in Orlando for decades, is facing charges of human trafficking and racketeering.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A 75-year-old bail bondsman accused of trading bonds for sexual favors has been released from jail in Orange County, officials say.
Russell Moncrief, who has run a bail bonds business in Orlando for decades, is facing charges of human trafficking and racketeering.
Alleged bond scheme ‘common knowledge’ among inmates
What we know:
Although Moncrief was originally being held without bond, records show he was able to bond out of jail late Tuesday night. His lawyers had been working to change the no-bond ruling, and a judge yesterday finally agreed to dissolve his pre-trial detention.
Moncrief was scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on Wednesday morning, but the hearing was canceled.
Russell Moncrief, 75, is facing charges of human trafficking and racketeering. (Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Office/Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation)
Moncrief is accused of demanding sex from female inmates in exchange for bonding them out of jail. He owns bail bond offices in Orange, Osceola, Brevard and Pinellas counties.
The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation says it's a scheme he ran for more than a decade, even becoming "common knowledge" among inmates. Back in 2011, a tipster reported Moncrief's alleged dirty deals to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and claimed even then they went back years.
Moncrief faces three counts of human trafficking and one count of racketeering.
Bail bondsman accused of trading bonds for favors
Russell Moncrief, a 75-year-old bail bondsman accused of trading bonds for sexual favors, appeared before a judge on Wednesday. Moncrief faces three counts of human trafficking and one count of racketeering and is being held without bond at the same jail where investigators say he targeted women for over a decade.
What's next:
Moncrief is scheduled to appear for a trial later this month, but it will likely be pushed back.
Even though he can go home, Moncrief continues to face charges and also has to wear a GPS monitor and is on house arrest.
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The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from previous reporting, as well as information shared by the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.