Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
This bill makes it a federal crime to commit fraud when posting bail, including criminal bail bonds and immigration bail bonds. Right now, federal law already bans fraud in the insurance business, and this bill clarifies that posting bail counts as part of that business. If it passes, people who use lies or deception when posting bail could face federal criminal charges.
If you or someone you know ever posts bail , or uses a bail bond company , this bill puts bail-related fraud squarely under federal law, with penalties of up to 10 or 15 years in prison. It closes a legal gray area that has let some bail fraud cases slip through the cracks.