Las Vegas Bail Bonds News: Bail Bondsman Sentenced in Referral Scheme

Jan. 31, 2011 - PRLog -- A bail bond agent convicted of soliciting attorney referrals and inmate business in an illegal bail bond referral scheme was sentenced Thursday to one year in jail, three years of formal probation, and is barred from practicing bail bonds for six months, prosecutors said.

Ronald Lee Brockway, 51, of Seal Beach, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of violating bail license regulations, according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The charges were originally filed as felonies and prosecutors objected to the reduction of the counts to misdemeanors.
Article Tab : Ronald Brockway booking photo.
California law prohibits bail bond employees from soliciting bail business from any inmate or incarcerated person, the news release said. The law also prohibits bail bond employees from recommending any attorney to any bail bond client, even if no money changes hands.

Brockway sent numerous e-mails to attorneys soliciting them to participate in an illegal bail bond scheme with his company, Respect Bail Bond, according to the news release.

In his messages, Brockway suggested that the attorneys refer bail bond business to him, while offering to refer clients to the attorneys in order to “increase both of our earnings substantially,” prosecutors said.

Brockway also unlawfully solicited business from inmates by mass mailing flyers to the Orange County jail containing the name and contact information for Respect Bail Bond, the release said. The flyers read, “Get out of jail today by calling now!”

In October 2005, Brockway testified in an Orange County Grand Jury hearing that he had received cash payments from attorney Joseph Cavallo in exchange for referring arrestees to Cavallo’s law practice. Brockway was not prosecuted in that case because his testimony was needed in the prosecution of other defendants, prosecutors said.

Cavallo was indicted based partly on Brockway’s testimony. Cavallo pleaded guilty on Oct. 12, 2007, to conspiracy to engage in attorney capping, or paying for clients, and an illegal attorney referral scheme. He was sentenced to six months in jail on Dec. 14, 2007.

The District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation began looking into the current case after a private attorney contacted the District Attorney’s Office to report receiving the e-mail from Brockway regarding the illegal referral scheme.

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