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Central Florida bail bondsman arrested on human trafficking charges

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Updated  October 29, 2024 9:41pm EDT
Orange County
FOX 35 Orlando

Bail bondsman arrested on human trafficking charges

A bail bondsman from Central Florida has been arrested on charges of human trafficking, accused of bonding women out of jail in exchange for sex.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A bail bondsman from Central Florida has been arrested on charges of human trafficking, accused of bonding women out of jail in exchange for sex.

Russell "Bruce" Moncrief owns bail bond offices in Orange, Osceola, and Brevard counties. Authorities are working to obtain his mug shot, but surveillance images of him have been included in a detailed investigation report.

The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) reports that agents spoke with several women who claimed they engaged in sexual acts with Moncrief to secure their release from jail. MBI and the Attorney General's Office noted that this practice was common knowledge among inmates at the Orange County Jail.

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According to the Attorney General, Moncrief allegedly sold women he bonded out to other buyers and threatened to revoke or violate their bonds as a means of coercion. Investigators indicated that if a woman refused to have sex, Moncrief would use intimidation tactics.

MBI investigators say Moncrief has been engaging in this conduct for more than a decade. His website indicates that he opened his first bail bond location in Orlando in 1978.

Moncrief now faces three counts of human trafficking and one count of racketeering, potentially resulting in up to 125 years in prison.

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