Four licensed bail agents have been charged in the 'rampant' use of phony bail bonds across Pennsylvania.
Berks County District Attorney John Adams announced the arrests of four ACE Bail Bonds employees -- Vincent Smith (the company's majority owner), Kaley Smith, Adalberto Garcia Rivera Jr., and Dean Gurney -- during a news conference Friday morning. All four suspects have surrendered to authorities.
The investigation in Berks County stemmed from charges filed in Bucks County against Gurney in early October.
Gurney, 47, of Richmond Township, was arrested by Bensalem Township police and charged with forgery, access device fraud/counterfeit, bad checks and securing execution of documents by deception.
Authorities said Gurney's actions almost put an accused drug dealer back on the streets when he tried to pass off a counterfeit bail bond at Bucks County District Court.
Gurney tried to post bail for the suspected drug dealer, but the bond for $500,000 was counterfeit, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Adams and his team of detectives subsequently launched an investigation of ACE Bail Bonds, raiding the company's headquarters on North Sixth Street in downtown Reading on Oct. 20 and removing several boxes of documents.
"That, in essence, shut them down," Adams said.
During the "many hours dedicated to the investigation," Adams said his detectives identified a "scheme" in which 83 fraudulent bonds were issued to the court system for the release of incarcerated defendants between Aug. 1, 2014 and Sept. 29, 2014.
"We know there are many more out there," said Adams, noting that the phony bonds were used in more than 20 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.
"I guess the motive is greed," Adams said.
Authorities said they have no grounds to revoke bail for any of the defendants whom ACE Bail Bonds issued a phony bond on their behalf, however, he did say that they are expected to appear before a judge for their next scheduled court appearance.
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