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.
ORLANDO, Fla. – 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.
During his court appearance, Moncrief, dressed in a yellow jail jumpsuit and handcuffed, kept his head down at times as he stood before the judge.
According to the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI), Moncrief exploited female inmates across Central Florida, coercing them into sexual acts in exchange for securing their release. The MBI alleges that the scheme, which spanned more than a decade, had become “common knowledge” among inmates.
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A 2011 report to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) detailed similar allegations, with a tipster claiming Moncrief’s misconduct dated back years. However, no arrest was made at the time.
The MBI began investigating Moncrief in 2021 as part of a separate case. This year, investigators started closely monitoring his activities across several Florida counties.
Moncrief, who owns bail bond offices in Orange, Osceola, Brevard, and Pinellas counties, opened his first office in Orlando in 1978. If convicted, he could face up to 125 years in prison.
“It is Mr. Moncrief’s position that he denies any and all allegations, and he looks forward to proving his innocence in court,” said his defense attorney, Rose Feller. Feller also noted she had just received a copy of the sealed pre-trial motion and reviewed it with her client.
A timeline for Moncrief’s transfer to the Orange County Jail has not yet been determined.
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