Dog The Bounty Hunter could be in some serious trouble for his involvement in the manhunt for Brian Laundrie!
The 68-year-old television personality could potentially face criminal charges if he happened to actually find the Floridian fugitive and arrest or detain him. Why is that, you may ask? Well, it turns out that Dog doesn’t have a license to be a bounty hunter or private investigator, making him prohibited from holding someone against their will by law. And not just in Florida either — in any state!
Talk about a wild twist in this already complicated situation! As you most likely know, the reality star joined the search for Gabby Petito’s fiancé — who is the sole person of interest in her case — and made headlines over the past couple of weeks for supposedly discovering clues and evidence leading him closer to Brian’s whereabouts. However, that all could get tossed out the window if he tries to grab the 23-year-old!
Related: Another Lie?! Police Say Brian Laundrie Campsite Story Is NOT True!
Mike Harrison, VP of the Florida Bail Bondsmen Associates, told Dailymail.com on Friday that Dog potentially runs the risk of being charged with a serious crime if he tries arresting or bringing in Laundrie since he doesn’t have a license, saying:
“That would be kidnapping or false imprisonment.”
The only loophole reportedly would be if the Colorado native caught Brian in the act of committing a crime. Harrison shared that Dog’s lack of certification is due to his 1976 murder conviction. In case you didn’t know, his friend had fatally shot 69-year-old Jerry Oliver during a drug deal in Texas while Dog was waiting in their getaway car. Although he didn’t aid in the shooting, Dog was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to five years in prison.
Following his conviction, Dog couldn’t legally bear arms, investigate cases, write bail bonds, or travel to certain countries like the UK. In fact, the only valid credentials he actually has obtained over the years is to sell insurance in Hawaii! If you’ve seen his A&E series, that is why his son Duane Lee Chapman often joined him when searching for fugitives — and why he only carried around a taser and bear repellent.
According to Harrison, Florida is tougher on this kind of thing than Hawaii and actually has some strict rules on who can track down individuals. They even removed the words “bounty hunter” from the laws:
“They changed the verbiage in the law to prevent guys like Dog from coming here from out of state to track down people they have no business tracking. For example, only I can go out to find someone who jumped the bail that I put up. To each his own.”
Ultimately, Harrison feels that the star joined the search for Laundrie as a PR move to score a new show, explaining:
“Everybody in the business knows Dog is doing this for publicity, maybe to land another TV show. This is about getting more likes on social media, more exposure. But if he can find this kid (Laundrie), I guess more power to him.”
This certainly changes things, doesn’t it, Perezcious readers?? Do you think Dog will stop his search for Brian now? Let us know your reactions in the comments (below)!
[Image via Fox 13 Tampa Bay/YouTube, Gabby Petito/Instagram]
The post Dog The Bounty Hunter DOESN’T HAVE A LICENSE, Potentially Faces Kidnapping Charges For Bringing In Brian Laundrie! appeared first on Perez Hilton.