Man who was former bail agent and Torrance Police Officer sentenced to 27 years in prison for kidnapping and extortion
News: 2023 Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Former bail agent Rehan Nazir, 51, of Torrance, was sentenced today to 27 years after an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff Major Crimes Bureau and the California Department of Insurance found he had apprehended bail clients prior to their required court appearances and threatened to return them to jail if they did not pay him money or give him property.
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that bail agents will be held accountable if they violate California law,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “I have worked to secure greater oversight of the bail industry to protect public safety, and I will continue to take necessary steps to ensure a safe and fair judicial process.”
This sentencing comes after he was found guilty by jury earlier this year of 17 felony counts of kidnapping, extortion, burglary, false imprisonment, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and grand theft.
Nazir had previously been terminated by the Torrance Police Department after the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office determined that he had submitted false information in a report by failing to document the use of a confidential informant.
The investigation found Nazir, while working as a licensed bail agent, employed several fugitive recovery persons, more commonly known as bounty hunters, to assist him in locating and appending several persons that he had bonded out of jail prior to their required court appearances. The investigation also resulted in two employees of Nazir being convicted of false imprisonment and a third whose pending sentencing.
In one instance, they forced entry to a home and detained multiple people at gunpoint looking for someone he had previously bailed out of jail. Nazir threatened to return them to jail unless they paid him money. He handcuffed them and had them driven to his bail office in Torrance, while friends or family members were driven by fugitive recovery persons to ATM machines.
He also used his former experience as a police officer to convince local law enforcement that he had authority to repossess vehicles owned by persons he had bailed out, even though no contract for collateral had been completed, and the vehicles were in physical possession of his clients’ family members. In other instances, Nazir accepted stolen credit cards and property in lieu of cash to let them go. Nazir was also found guilty of threatening a family member of an arrestee by having another person deliver graphic photos of an officer involved shooting in which he was personally involved.
This case was prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Nazir’s bail agent license expired on June 30, 2019.
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Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the consumer protection agency for the nation's largest insurance marketplace and safeguards all of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims, set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. Consumers are urged to call 1-800-927-4357 with any questions or contact us at www.insurance.ca.gov via webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at 800-927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 800-482-4833.
