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Bail bondsman accepts plea deal in Orange County racketeering case
A longtime bail bondsman accused of trading bond services for sexual favors has accepted a plea deal in Orange County. Russell Moncrief appeared in court and pleaded no contest to racketeering as part of an agreement with prosecutors on the first day his trial was scheduled to begin.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida bail bondsman, who is accused of trading bonds for sexual favors, pleaded no contest to charges in court Monday.
Russell Moncrief, who ran several bail bond businesses in Central Florida, demanded sex and other favors from female inmates in exchange for posting their bail, according to investigators. He was charged with three counts of human trafficking and one count of racketeering.
What we know:
Russell Moncrief, 77, was in court on April 13, following his 2024 arrest and being placed on GPS monitoring and house arrest. He withdrew his previous plea of not guilty and instead, pleaded no contest to his racketeering charges.
Under the agreement – which prosecutors decided to drop the human trafficking charges – Moncrief will give up his bail bond license and exit the business.
Read more: Florida bail bondsman accused of trading bonds for sexual favors released from jail, officials say
Russell Bruce Moncrief
Upon conditions of Moncrief's plea agreement, Moncrief will serve just under three years in prison and six years on probation as a registered sex offender. He'll pay $80,000 to compensate his victims and $23,000 to the state for its investigation.
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Prior to his sentencing, he is able to travel freely between Brevard, Polk, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties with a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. During the curfew hours, Moncrief is ordered to remain home in confinement. He'll remain on electronic monitoring.
The backstory:
In a 2011 report, a tipster reported Moncrief's alleged dirty deals to FDLE and claimed even then they went back years.
Moncrief owns bail bond businesses in Orange, Osceola, Brevard and Pinellas counties, FOX 35's Matt Trezza reported. He opened his first office in Orlando in 1975.
The Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation said Moncrief took advantage of female inmates across Central Florida and forced or coerced sex in exchange for bonding them out, FOX 35 previously reported.
Investigators said Moncrief ran the scheme for over a decade, and it was "common knowledge" among inmates.
Russell Moncrief in court on April 13, 2026.
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He was released from jail last year and placed on house arrest and ordered to wear a GPS monitor while awaiting trial.
What's next:
Moncrief's sentencing is set for Jan. 8, 2027.
The Source: This story was written with information from Orange County court records and from previous FOX 35 reporting.