| For Immediate Release Case # 11CF0730 June 14, 2012 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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BAIL BOND AGENT CONVICTED OF ILLEGALLY SOLICITING INMATE CLIENTS FROM
ORANGE COUNTY JAIL
*Six co-defendant have been convicted and a seventh is pending resolution in this case
SANTA ANA – A bail bond agent was convicted today in an 8-co-defendant scheme to illegally solicit inmates as bail clients from Orange County Jail. Cynthia Cheryl Shirey, 43, pleaded guilty to one felony count each of violating bail license regulations by permitting an unlicensed person to solicit and negotiate bail bonds on her behalf, violating bail license regulations by using a fictitious name to conduct bail bonds business, violating bail license regulations by failing to keep complete records of all business done under the authority of her license, and violating bail license regulations by transmitting to another person a fictitious communication authorizing the solicitation or negotiation of bail. Shirey was sentenced to nine months in jail and will have her bail bonds license revoked by the California Department of Insurance (CDI) as a result of the conviction.
Seven Co-defendants
Ernesto Perez, 37, Burbank, is charged with 49 felony counts of negotiating bail without a license and 56 felony counts of identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 72 years and four months in state prison. Perez is out of custody on $150,000 bail and is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing June 25, 2012, in Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
Richard Anthony Arant, 29, Silverado Canyon, pleaded guilty Nov. 18, 2011, to five felony counts of soliciting bail without a license and two felony counts of violation of bail license regulations. He was sentenced to 16 months in jail. Arant was in custody for misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol and driving on a suspended license (Case #11CM01467).
Jonathan Thomas Campos, 28, Long Beach, pleaded guilty April 29, 2011, to two felony counts of violation of bail license regulations and two felony counts of soliciting bail without a license. He was sentenced June 24, 2011, to two years in state prison for this case. He was sentenced to an additional two years, totaling four years in prison, for two other criminal cases (Case # 09HF1568 and Case #10WF1614), for which he was incarcerated at the time of the bail bonds scheme.
Jason Anthony Gatewood, 24, Fullerton, pleaded guilty Jan. 3, 2012, two felony counts of violation of bail license regulations and four felony counts of soliciting bail without a license. He was sentenced to 240 days in jail and three years of formal probation. At the time of the crime, Gatewood was in custody for felony false imprisonment by violence (Case #10CF1804).
Vaughn Michael Hutchins, 27, San Clemente, pleaded guilty to a court offer July 8, 2011, to four felony counts of soliciting bail without a license and two felony counts of violation of bail license regulations. He was sentenced to one year in jail and three years of formal probation. At the time of the crime, Hutchins was in custody for two felony counts of commercial burglary and misdemeanor providing false information to a police officer (Case #11CF0286).