Bondsman accused of human trafficking is appearing in court for the first time

ORLANDO, Fla. – A Central Florida bail bondsman long accused of human trafficking was arraigned in court for the first time today.

Russell Moncrief, 75, is accused by the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and the Florida Attorney General’s Office of demanding sex from female prisoners in exchange for tying them up.

Moncrief owns Moncrief Bail Bonds and is now in jail without bond. He is in the Seminole County Jail until he is transferred to Orange County to face charges.

The MBI said Moncrief would use his position to exploit female prisoners across the region by demanding sexual favors in exchange for tying them up. The MBI said the dirty deals are at least a decade old.

“It is Mr. Moncrief’s position that he denies all allegations, and he looks forward to proving his innocence in court,” said Moncrief’s attorney Rose Feller.

Since 1978, Moncrief has built a bail bonds empire with multiple locations in central Florida. He maintains offices in Orange, Osceola, Brevard and Pinellas counties.

FOX 35 News spoke with Brevard County Attorney Geoffrey Golub for insight. Golub is not part of this case and has never met Moncrief, but said some of his own clients have used Moncrief Bail Bonds before.

“People are talking,” Golub said. “Not that you would know if there was any truth to it, but rumors suggest that many people were not surprised.”

MORE STORIES:

The rumor, which is now a criminal accusation, was documented back in 2011 when a tipster filed a complaint against Moncrief with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The tipster claimed that the dirty plan has “been around for years.”

MBI investigators ultimately focused on Moncrief while working on another case in 2021. That led to a three-year investigation and a report of almost 200 pages.

“You would think it would be pretty solid,” Golub said of the case. “You would think if it took three years they would have a lot of information.”

And they do. The report includes first-hand accounts from several alleged victims, hundreds of outbound calls from only female inmates to Moncrief’s personal phone, and photos and videos documenting his every move, including meetings with alleged victims.

The MBI said many of the women had a history of prostitution and that Moncrief allegedly took advantage of that.

Golub says bond men hold the power in relationships with customers who have difficulty paying for a bond on their own.

“The bond has a lot of power because if he thinks you’re doing something wrong or if he thinks there’s a chance you won’t show up, he can take you off bond, and then you’re back in jail,” said Golub.

Investigators said if a woman refused to have sex with Moncrief, she would not be bound. He faces three counts of human trafficking and one count of extortion. It could carry a prison sentence of 125 years.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: