Bail enforcement agents arrested for posing as FBI men www.privateofficer.com

Bail enforcement agents arrested for posing as FBI men http://www.privateofficer.com

Dekalb County AL. Sept 23 2008

Kyle T. Greene

Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers

http://www.privateofficer.com/

DeKalb police arrested three apparent bounty hunters Sunday allegedly posing as FBI agents. Deputies received two reports from Kilpatrick Saturday of three white men dressed in black and one carrying a handgun entered homes posing as Federal Bureau of Investigation or Fugitive Recovery Unit agents.

According to Sheriff Jimmy Harris, the men allegedly claimed to be looking for a suspect. Harris said the men allegedly searched the houses and took money, leaving in a dark-colored sport-utility vehicle.

Harris said a be-on-the-lookout alert was issued for the vehicle.

Collinsville Police Chief Gary Bowen spotted the vehicle Sunday at about 6 p.m.

Harris said Bowen arrested Donny Lynn Hollingsworth, 29, David Edwin Taylor, 35, both of Guntersville, and Joey Lynn Stephens, 40 of Boaz, and called the Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Unit.

The three men, who claimed to be working with two area bail bond companies as bounty hunters, were charged with first-degree theft of property, second-degree burglary and criminal conspiracy.

Harris said the three suspects were in jail awaiting bail Monday and more charges could come from Boaz police and Marshall County deputies.Boaz police Chief Terry Davis said he believes the three are responsible for the similar robbery of two men on Denison Drive at about 11 a.m. Sunday.

In that incident, Davis said, three white men dressed in black attire – including T-shirts with the letters “FTA” – and possibly wearing law enforcement badges around their necks, entered the home and said they were federal officers looking for marijuana.During the incident, Davis said, the three men took about $1,000 from the residents.After the three men left in a dark-colored SUV, the chief said, the victims became suspicious.

“I am very pleased they did,” Davis said.Boaz investigators went to Fort Payne to interview the three suspects.

Davis said he’s satisfied the three are the some ones involved in the DeKalb County crimes and anticipates charges will be forthcoming for impersonating a police officer and robbery.“Taylor had at one time been a Boaz jailor, but we let him go,” Davis said. “I guess he’ll get to see the inside of the jail from the other perspective.”

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