'Dog' collared for jumping bail in Mexico
(CNN) -- Duane "Dog" Chapman, the self-proclaimed world's most-famous bounty hunter who achieved notoriety nabbing thousands of bail jumpers was arrested Thursday for allegedly jumping bail in Mexico.
U.S. marshals arrested the star of the A&E reality show "Dog the Bounty Hunter" at his home in Hawaii at the request of the Mexican government.
Chapman was wanted in connection with his highly publicized 2003 capture of Max Factor cosmetics heir Andrew Luster, who fled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, after skipping out on a $1 million bail.
Luster was later convicted in-absentia on 86 charges involving drugging three women with the date-rape drug, GHB, and raping them. Luster is serving a 124-year sentence. (Full story)
Chapman's son, Leland, also was arrested Thursday, as was colleague Tim Chapman, who is unrelated but considered a "blood brother" by Dog, according to the reality show's Web site.
Marshals knocked on the door of Chapman's home just after 6 a.m., and they entered the home after the unlatched door came open, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Jay Bieber.
Chapman was cooperative, Bieber said. He was handcuffed and placed in the back of a government vehicle.
Chapman's wife, Beth, told MSNBC her husband was being held in a federal detention center in Honolulu.
The arrest warrant is under seal, and charges are expected to be announced Friday when Chapman is scheduled to appear before a magistrate's court in Honolulu.
Larry Butrick, chief of the criminal division of the U.S. attorney's office in Hawaii, said Chapman was arrested by Mexican authorities in June 2003 on charges of illegal detention and conspiracy.
The magistrate will determine whether Chapman can be extradited to Mexico, and the final decision will be made by the U.S. secretary of state, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Hawaii.
Mexican police said that the three men subdued Luster outside a nightclub, put him in an SUV and drove off June 18, 2003. Police stopped the vehicles soon afterward and took the men into custody.
Chapman and his crew were not authorized to track Luster and take him into custody in Mexico, Mexican officials said at the time, adding that bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico.
Judge Jose de Jesus Pineda ordered the three men to stand trial on charges of unlawful detention and deprivation of freedom, charges which carry sentences of up to four years in prison.
Pineda granted the men bail -- $1,500 each -- but the three were supposed to check in regularly with police and get Pineda's permission before traveling outside the Mexican state of Jalisco, a prosecutor said.
The men did not, supervising prosecutor Marco Roberto Suarez said in July 2003, threatening to have the men arrested and returned to Mexico if they missed their scheduled appearance before Pineda.
The following month, Superior Court Judge Edward Brodie in Ventura County, California, ruled that Chapman was not entitled to any of the $1 million in bail money forfeited by Luster when he fled to Mexico. (Full story)
"I cannot do vigilante justice," Brodie said. "In my view, you violated state statutes and Mexican statutes. Therefore you are not entitled to any restitution."
Chapman later said he was proud that he had captured Luster, but regretted doing it "in the wrong way."
"Dog the Bounty Hunter," in which Chapman and his family chase down bail jumpers and other fugitives, is one of A&E's most popular series. It is in its third season.
Bounty hunter 'Dog' tagged, gets let out
Duane "Dog" Chapman hugs his son after his release.
HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- TV reality star Duane "Dog" Chapman and two co-stars accused of illegal detention and conspiracy in the bounty hunters' capture of a cosmetics company heir in Mexico posted bail and were released.
Chapman was released on $300,000 bail Friday after spending the night in a federal detention center and his co-stars on the popular A&E show "Dog The Bounty Hunter" were freed on $100,000 bail each.
Chapman, his son, Leland Chapman, and associate Timothy Chapman, no relation, were arrested Thursday on charges stemming from the capture of Max Factor heir Andrew Luster on June 18, 2003, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, officials said. (Watch how the bounty hunter landed in the doghouse -- 2:05)
Chapman's capture of Luster, who had fled the country during his trial on charges he raped three women, catapulted the 53-year-old bounty hunter to fame and led to the reality series on A&E. Luster is now serving a 124-year prison term.
Bounty hunting is considered a crime in Mexico, and charges have been pending against the three since local police in Mexico arrested them shortly after they roped in Luster. They posted bail but never returned for their court hearing in July 2003, officials said.
Monitoring tag
Chapman made the sign of the cross and mouthed "I love you" to his wife, who was sitting in the front row of the crowded courtroom.
The men are now required to wear electronic monitoring devices until they return to court for extradition hearings to face trial in Mexico. The judge said they were not flight risks.
Chapman and his tattooed crew were ordered to surrender their passports, to stay in Hawaii and not possess any firearms.
Defense attorney Brook Hart, who successfully argued during the minute-long hearing that his clients have no reason to be locked up, called the devices "overkill" but did not object to their use.
"It's ironic that the bounty hunter would go around with a bracelet while arresting people. But so be it," he said.
Reporters and fans packed the courtroom, and several supporters held signs outside the federal courthouse saying, "Let go our hero" and "In Dog we Trust." A&E TV crews were filming the events for a future episode of Chapman's show.
Chapman's son Leland, 29, and Timothy Chapman, 41, assist him in exploits chronicled for the TV show around the Hawaiian Islands. The show focuses on Chapman's family as much as the bounty hunting, which generally involves tracking down bail jumpers, often creating emotional scenes with repentant captives.
'Dog' freed on bail, says he'll be cleared
By Ken Kobayashi and Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writers
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Duane "Dog" Chapman, released on bail and still wearing the blue garb of the federal jail, assured his fans last night that he would be cleared of all charges.
His personal security guards rushed him through a crowd of supporters and reporters as he left the Federal Building and entered a sport utility vehicle. On the way, Chapman thanked his fans and said he was happy to be free, while his wife, Beth, kept shouting at him to "shut up."
"We're glad for our support," Duane Chapman said. "We're glad for everything. Everyone loves us, thank you very much. If it wasn't for the people that love us, we don't know what would have happened.
"We love America. The federal marshals treated us with great respect. But let me tell you, you never want to go to a federal prison because it's terrible."
When asked if he will be vindicated of the charges, he said, "Absolutely, brah. Absolutely."
He still faces extradition proceedings to determine whether he should be sent to Mexico to face charges there.
The charges of illegal detention relate to his capture three years ago of fugitive and convicted rapist Andrew Luster in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The charges carry potential sentences ranging from six months to four years, lawyers said.
The extradition proceedings could spill over into next year.
The magistrate judge who released him on bail also ordered him to wear an electronic bracelet so he can be monitored by federal officials.
AWAITING THEIR HERO
Outside the courthouse, dozens of supporters wearing "Dog the Bounty Hunter" T-shirts and waving signs that read "Let our hero go" and "In Dog we trust" had waited to get a glimpse of their hero.
Floyd and Susan Harris of Casa Grande, Ariz., took a break from their Hawai'i vacation to show their support. The couple had earlier gone to Chapman's Da Kine Bail Bonds office to see if they could meet him, only to find out that he was in federal custody.
Susan Harris said she especially wanted to see Beth Chapman. And with the flamboyant Beth shouting at her husband, his attorney and the media, Harris got more than she bargained for.
"She's as straight up as I thought she was on TV," Harris said. "She stands by her man, and she's trying to protect him, and I appreciate that as a woman."
Frank and Denise Duarte of Mesa, Ariz., also are faithful fans of Chapman's TV show and said they admired him. They spent the final hours of their weeklong vacation yesterday waiting to see Chapman.
"We've done everything else. We did Pearl Harbor, we did the Polynesian Cultural Center and we did the beach," said Denise Duarte. "We probably were going to kick it at the beach today and then this came up, so we're here. This is more important than the beach."
Chapman declined to comment on the charges and the Mexican government's attempt to bring him back for prosecution.
"I can't say nothing about Mexico because I want to respect everybody," he said.
Despite strong objections by the U.S. Attorney's Office, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren ordered Chapman's release on $300,000 bail, which Chapman can post later in cash or with a bond.
The release on bail of suspects awaiting extradition proceedings is considered rare because they are presumed to be flight risks since they are accused of fleeing a country to avoid prosecution.
But Kurren found that Chapman has so many ties here, he wouldn't flee.
"Just look at him," Kurren said, referring to the long-haired star of the popular A&E reality show, "Dog the Bounty Hunter." "There's no way he can elude capture if he attempts to flee."
Kurren also ordered Chapman to remain at his Kahala home other than when he has to work at his bail bond business or for the TV show. Chapman must surrender his passport, not leave Hawai'i and wear the electronic monitoring bracelet.
Chapman cannot carry any firearms, but he told Kurren that's not a problem. "I have no guns or weapons," he said.
Chapman's attorney, Brook Hart, said his client was pleased by his release. "He's appreciative that the American justice system works fairly," Hart said.
SON RELEASED
Kurren also ordered the release of Chapman's son, Leland, and Tim Chapman (no relation) on $100,000 bail each with similar conditions imposed on Duane Chapman.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Johnson said he will probably appeal Kurren's decision to U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway, but did not oppose the immediate release while he challenges the ruling.
The extradition proceedings might be held late this year or early next year, Hart said.
The three men were arrested Thursday morning by federal marshals armed with an extradition warrant related to their capture of Luster, a Max Factor heir who was hiding out in Mexico under a fictitious name. But shortly after they caught Luster, the Chapmans were arrested by Mexican authorities.
They posted bail but never showed up for a hearing there on July 15, 2003.
In a courtroom overflowing with news reporters, Chapman supporters and others, Johnson argued that neither Luster nor the Mexican government considers the charges to be minor infractions. If Chapman is released and he flees, "it impacts the international relations between Mexico and the United States," he said.
Duane Chapman went to Mexico knowing that he and his associates would be subject to Mexican law, which bans bounty hunting, Johnson said.
"The Chapmans knew when they jumped bail, they were supposed to show up in court," Johnson said.
But Hart said his client went to Mexico to catch a U.S. citizen who fled from justice.
"He took him off the streets doing a major public service to the world and the country," Hart said.
In addition to finding that the Chapmans won't flee, Kurren also found special circumstances warranting their release on bail. Among those circumstances, he said, was the Mexican government taking three years to seek extradition and the lack of any allegation that the Chapmans will commit violence or continue any alleged illegal activities.
Kurren, however, granted Johnson's request that Duane Chapman and his son be monitored by someone other than their wife and mother, Beth Chapman.
Johnson said there's a "rumor" that she told her husband not to go back to Mexico.
He also cited an earlier hearing yesterday during which Beth Chapman had to explain why she wore an A&E microphone and transmitter when she entered the courthouse. Under a federal court order, cell phones and other electronic equipment are banned from the courthouse.
Howard Glickstein, Beth Chapman's lawyer, said his client and another son, Duane, never intended to record or transmit anything and didn't know they had the mike and transmitter.
Kurren said he was "disturbed" about the violation, but said he was satisfied that no recording or transmission was made.
However, he warned Beth Chapman that if it happened again, he would hold a contempt hearing that could result in sanctions that include barring her from the courthouse.
EXTRADITION ISSUE
Hart said one issue is whether the Chapmans are charged with a felony in Mexico, which falls under the agreement allowing for extradition. But if the maximum sentence is only six months, it would be considered a misdemeanor and not an offense subject to extradition, he said.
Hart also said the hearings may include calling in witnesses from Mexico who saw the Chapmans catch Luster.
James Blancarte, a Los Angeles lawyer who also represents the Chapmans in the extradition proceedings, said it's premature to speculate on whether his clients will have to return to Mexico.
"Mr. Chapman is really a player within a larger picture of whether both governments are actually cooperating on extradition," he said. "But the merits of his case is really all that matters. The policy considerations, we'll leave to the politicians. We'll handle the law."
Johnson could not be reached for comment after he left the courthouse.
Duane 'Dog' Chapman Proud of How He Got His Luster
Back in February, I met and interviewed Duane "Dog" Chapman when he was in Las Vegas to attend the Professional Bail Agents of the United States convention at the Luxor. Maybe, that "United States" part of this organization's name should have meant more to him. Chapman proudly told the audience and me in an interview beforehand about his 2003 successful capture in Mexico of Andrew Luster, a fugitive cosmetics heir convicted of rape in this country.
Chapman described this hunt as the challenge that brought out the best and the brightest bounty hunters and proved his preeminence in this field. Chapman had this to say to me about arresting Luster in Febuary: "When he took off, every bounty hunter in the country was looking for him, and the title then was on the line. When the title was on the line, it was very important that I capture him. We captured him." Of course, that capture was in Mexico and not the United States.
Dog admitted to me that more than a few of his competitors have been jealous of him since capturing Luster made him famous. But his colleagues didn't just feel jealous. Dog's reckless image and biker outfits seemed out of step with the rest of the bounty hunters at the Vegas convention who preferred to be called "fugitive recovery agents," wore suits, and talked to me about the latest technological and computer methods of their trade. To those folks, Luster's arrest in Mexico was a classic example of Chapman's Rambo mentality and they were quick to point out the result was that Mexican authorities arrested Chapman and his crew.
After some time in a cell, Chapman and company posted bond and left. Now, apparently, Mexico wants Chapman back and has declared the bounty hunter a fugitive from Mexican justice; the result was Dog's arrest yesterday in Hawaii by a U.S. marshall.
When I spoke to him in February, Chapman was hardly of the mind to give up international bounty hunting. When I asked him who he most wanted to go after next, he didn't even pause before answering: Osama bin Laden. I just hope bin Laden's cave doesn't turn out to be in Mexico.
