Criminal case emphasizes the lack of regulation for Colorado Bounty Hunters

Denver – Asimene Montoya was technically on the run after she had missed a trial that she would have brought into prison.

But in a December evening last year she asked the police to take her. She would be in prison later, but only after a one -week time in the infirmary.

Montoya was contacted by Bounty Hunter William Holland (43), who, according to investigators, was found by a Bondsman deposit because of the river for bond. However, what the investigators believe that Holland and another woman have found that Montoya would lead to Holland, who were charged with criminal law – something that happened to him before.

“I would rather go with the bulls, no matter what happened,” Montoya told Denver7 from Arapahoe County's prison. “I said 'Call 911' because I was afraid of them.”

Holland has a crime history and was charged in the past. In this case, he is charged with a second degree because of assault, which leads to serious physical injuries.

He is one of several bounty hunters Denver7 Investigates examined who was charged with crimes they committed during the bounty hunt. A lack of regulation in the Colorado industry, however, means that nothing bonds prevents them from stopping them.

• See this investigation in the following video player:

Colorado Bounty Hunter's supposedly contested crimes in the task of doing a lack of a lack of regulation

“We call Colorado one of handful of” Wild West countries “,” said Jeff Clayton, Managing Director of the American Bail Coalition, a Bail -Advocacy group. “Components can just go out and hire whoever they want without state control or oversight.”

In Montoya's case, documents reveal that Holland found her in an apartment complex in Denver shortly after 1 a.m. The encounter was recorded on video by a neighbor. In it, Montoya can be seen on the floor, tied up and to scream.

Montoya also sits in a truck in the 20-minute video, while the person, from whom the investigators believe to wear Holland-a black jacket with the inscription “BACK” on the back step on the back and screams to get out.

Later he seems to use a weapon on her several times.

“I thought I would be kidnapped. I didn't know. I couldn't imagine why,” said Montoya.

During the incident, Montoya suffered broken bones and a distributed elbow. She had to be operated on to repair part of the damage.

“I think there was so much adrenaline that I don't know where the pain came from.

The Denver police were called during the incident, and Holland's affidavit indicates that officials tried a kidnapping after a report. It is said that the officials had gone after they said Holland that he should release Montoya. According to the investigators, he ignored this order.

Holland was arrested about a month after the night where he had picked up Montoya. He is currently in bond while the case is progressing. His next hearing is planned for May 20.

Criminal history

Court files show an activity history in which the 43-year-old bounty hunter is involved. On the night on which the police said he had picked up Montoya, he waited in Arapahoe County, where he was exposed to bounty hunt with several charges for kidnapping from an incident of 2021.

He was acquitted of these charges in March, but has several other convicts in his balance sheet, including theft of crimes in Maryland and a peace officer in the Arapahoe district.

Denver7 previously examined another bounty hunter, Jesse Wagner, who about a dozen counts in connection with a case of Jefferson County in 2023, including kidnapping and illegal sexual contact.

At the beginning of this year, he accepted a plea, which is guilty of two charges – illegal use of electroplocking and possession of a weapon of a former perpetrator. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

However, Wagner has a lengthy crime history in California and was charged with the San Diego area at the time of his plea. He also had several earlier convictions in the state, including crimes committed during the bounty hunt.

The victim in Wagner's case of Jefferson County spoke anonymously with Denver7 and said that she thought the prison was safer than near Wagner.

Lack of regulation

Due to the lack of industry regulation, bonds can easily stop people like Holland and Wagner.

“Just to say that we have people who have granted power from the state of Colorado to arrest people without license and training for me should be alarming for every citizen of the state of Colorado,” said Clayton.

Katie O'Donnell, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (Dora), said that the state has regulations at some point, but not in recent years.

Dora monitors the insurance department of the state, which supervises the bail bond.

In 2011, Colorados Office of Policy, Research and Regulatory Reform (COPRRR) gave the State General Assembly to check the cancellation of the cancellation of the termination of the requirement that a deposit must again confirm that the restoration agent is qualified before the compensation of a deposit. “

These qualifications included checking a fingerprint background test and the acceptance of certified training.

This recommendation was stuck and the law changed in 2012.

“There is no enforcement component if there is no legal supervision,” said O'Donnell.

The state looked at again in 2014, but made no changes.

O'Donnell said that a legislative change would require a prescription on the books for bounty hunters.

It is something Clayton believes that it is overdue for the state of Colorado.

“I think it's time for the department to look at this again. And I think it's time for the legislator to look at it again,” he said.

Montoya is currently serving her prison for her conviction of identity theft, but still bears the trauma from that night.

“I get very emotional. It was scary. I still do the process of healing from everything you did,” she said. “It was a terrible experience, and I want to make sure that nobody ever happens again.”

Denver7 Investigates made several attempts to contact Holland, including the provision of the lawyers listed in the latest court records in the case of this case. In this case, this lawyer would not confirm or refuse his participation.

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