|
SAN BERNARDINO Ten people, including a son of former Sheriff Floyd Tidwell,
who are accused of participating in an illegal kickback scheme involving
bail bond businesses, had their criminal cases lumped together Wednesday in
Superior Court.
Deputy District Attorney Cheryl Kersey filed an amended complaint alleging
that Danial Tidwell, 50, his wife, Shirley Tidwell, 43, and eight other
people conspired to commit unlawful solicitation of bail and other crimes.
They were originally charged separately, but Kersey said she amended the
complaint to facilitate prosecution.
"It was anticipated they would all be in one complaint, and I would have one
preliminary hearing,' Kersey said following Wednesday's hearing before San
Bernardino SDUperior Court Judge J. Michael Welch.
Nine other defendants, including Danial Tidwell's brother, Steven Tidwell,
have pleaded guilty in exchange for lighter jail sentences and for
testifying against the other defendants.
Welch heard various motions filed by defense attorneys clamored around a
table during Friday's hearing. The defense motions, in essence, argued that
the allegations presented by the prosecution lacked specificity and did not
warrant the criminal charges.
Welch rejected the motions set an arraignment for Feb. 11.
Also named in the new complaint are Jerry Christian, 44, Samantha Widener,
34, Jessy Wooten, 36, Sandra Slayton, 41, Michael Wayne Steel, Keith
Widener, Kirk Widener and Randall Ideishi, all of whom are former employees
of Tidwell's or jail inmates whom it is alleged they illegally referred
other inmates.
Each defendant faces a maximum of three years in prison if convicted. Danial
Tidwell also faces two additional gun possession charges that could tack on
16 months to his sentence if he's convicted, Kersey said.
During a search of Tidwell's home, sheriff's detectives said, two assault
rifles were found.
All the defendants had worked for Danial "Boone' Tidwell at Boone's Bail
Bonds in Fontana, where Tidwell taught them bail transactions and coached
them in illegal referral practices, prosecutors allege.
Weekly meetings were held by Tidwell and his employees to discuss how to
improve the bail bond business by having inmates at West Valley Detention
Center in Rancho Cucamonga work as tank workers and illegally solicit bail
for them. In exchange for their services, inmates would receive cash
kickbacks, free three-way phone calls, and lower bail premiums, prosecutors
say.
Some of Tidwell's employees, including brother Steven Tidwell, left Boone's
Bail Bonds and started their own bail bond businesses using the illegal
referral template Danial Tidwell had taught them, authorities said.
|
