Bounty Hunters, Actor and Cameraman Await Formal Charges
posted:Tuesday, June 24, 2003
by Vallarta Online Staff
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Bounty hunters Duane "Dog" Chapman, his brother Timothy Chapman, Dog's son Leland, along with cameraman/producer of a reality television show, Jeff Sells, and actor Boris Krutonog, all appeared before immigration officials on Monday. The five Americans had posted bail of $1,430 each on the previous Saturday, promising to stay in Mexico for a hearing on charges of their illegal capture of fugitive rapist Andrew Luster, and heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune.
Duane "Dog" Chapman, a self proclaimed "Billy the Kid" of bounty hunters, and his associates followed a tip that Andrew Luster, the convicted serial rapist and heir to Max Factor cosmetics, was hiding in Puerto Vallarta.
On June 18th, Chapman and crew spotted Andrew Luster at a neighborhood taco stand in the early hours of the morning. From there, the bounty hunters and reality TV personnel proceeded to apprehend Luster, handcuffing him and driving off in two vehicles on route to either the airport or the United States. It is still unclear how the bounty hunter planned to transport Luster to the United States.
A bar manager from "Dollars Bar" and workers at the taco stand witnessed the scuffle and proceeded to call the local police. When the police arrived, "Dog", Luster and crew were gone from the scene. The police put out an all points bulletin on the vehicles with license plate numbers that the witnesses wrote down. The police later caught up with the two vehicles near the Gustavo Diaz Ordaz International Airport.
Andrew Luster told police his name was David Carrera, but later retracted and gave police his true identity. Luster, with no legal standing in Mexico, was extradited on Thursday afternoon. Luster was expelled from Mexico to the United States where he was immediately taken to a California prison to begin serving his 124 year sentence for the drugging and raping of three women.
Upon return, Luster was taken to Wasco State Prison in central California where he will spend his first 90 days in a processing center. During that time, officials will decide which prison to send him to permanently serve his sentence.
On Friday June 20th, Luster's attorney Roger Diamond filed paperwork asking the State Supreme Court to consider whether Luster can appeal his conviction. Luster's return to the United States allowed him to beat a deadline by just days for seeking an appeal to his lengthy conviction.
Weeks before the capture, the State Court of Appeal had already ruled against considering any appeal, saying Luster had forfeited that right because he became a fugitive.
Currently, the five other Americans face charges of criminal association and illegal deprivation of liberty, which is similar to kidnapping without requesting ransom money. Both charges carry a maximum of four years in prison in Mexico. Under Mexican law, anyone not part of Mexican law enforcement who forcibly takes another person into custody is considered a kidnapper.
It is believed that the five Americans are staying at more luxurious accommodations than the Mexican jail they were in for four days. The Westin Regina will not comment if the Americans are staying at the hotel, but witnesses have reported seeing Duane "Dog" Chapman and mixed associates in the lobby as well as at the beachside restaurant.
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