Stillwater Bail Bondsman Charged With Embezzlement

A former Stillwater bail bondsman is now charged with multiple counts of embezzlement. Investigator say she used thousands of dollars intended for bonds for personal use.

The Oklahoma Insurance Department investigation into the Stillwater woman resulted in her license being revoked last year. Now, more than a year later, the Attorney General has filed embezzlement charges against Connie Manuel.

A complaint filed against Manuel opened up the investigation into her and her Stillwater business. The investigation surrounds money paid to Manuel by a mother bonding her son out of the Payne County Jail several times in 2014.

But when he skipped a court appearance "within a few hours Manuel was calling her for the $5,000 bond" court records state. According to investigators, William Bohannan's mother paid the five grand to Manuel the next morning.

A new bond was set the following day for $6,000. After paying her son's bond again, court records show he was a no show for another court appearance.

"Within an hour [Sandra] received a telephone call from Manuel demanding her money." Investigators say the mother again paid Manuel, now giving her $11,000 total.

“In this case, this woman collected $11,000 on two separate occasions and then there is no receipt for where that money went. So it looks to us like she used it for personal use,” said Buddy Combs, director of public policy and assistant general counsel Oklahoma Insurance Department. 

When fraud investigators questioned Manuel about the money, she claimed that money was used to pay for bounty hunters to locate Bohannan.

"She paid them all in cash" court records say and "there were no receipts on file for these expenses".

“She could have used it for the bond, in case the bond had forfeited, but it looks like the money disappeared into thin air,” said Combs.

If convicted Manuel faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine for both of those embezzlement charges.