Man Working With An Oklahoma Bail Bond Company Arrested

A convicted felon is back behind bars. He was working with a bail bond company trying to catch wanted men, but turns out he was the one breaking the law.

James Henderson Jr., 37, is currently being held on a $10,000 bond. He is accused of violating the Bail Enforcement and Licensing Act. And though he's been arrested and convicted several times, police reports state he was with a bondsman from Hound Dog Bail Bonds Thursday night.

The two were trying to pick up Kenneth Canady 34, who had an active warrant out for his arrest.

Canady tried to get away and rammed his car into theirs near SW 19th and Pennsylvania Ave.

Police were called and that's when both Canady and Henderson were hauled off to jail.

The police report states when Henderson was booked into the jail, he kept telling authorities he was only there for a ride along with the bondsman and did nothing illegal. But that will be up to the Oklahoma County District Attorney's office to decide.

“It was apparent to the officers out there listening to these conflicting stories that this man (Henderson) was actually out there attempting to pick up the fugitive,” said Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow with the Oklahoma City Police Department.

“It's a black eye for the industry,” said David Dunn, a licensed bondsman with Abraham's Bail Bonds.

Dunn said in the past, there were no laws regulating bondsmen in Oklahoma. But as of February 1, 2015 that changed, making it a felony for a bail enforcer to hire an unlicensed bondsman, or to have a convicted felon chasing down bad guys alongside them.

“Everyone's aware of the law,” said Dunn. “Convicted felons can no longer bounty hunt in the state of Oklahoma - and they shouldn't!”

Workers at Hound Dog Bail Bonds released a statement Friday evening:

James Henderson, the individual referenced in the reporting, is not an employee of Hound Dog Bail Bonds.

In the incident leading to Mr. Henderson's arrest, a duly licensed and employed Bail Enforcement Agent observed an individual he believed to be Kenneth Lee Canaday, a wanted fugitive with felony warrant(s). In an attempt to escape capture, Canaday rammed the vehicle driven by the Bail Enforcement Agent with a car. With the assistance of the Oklahoma City Police Department, both Canaday and his passenger were taken into custody.

During this incident, Mr. Henderson did not take any actions to apprehend Canaday, and did not identify or hold himself out as a bail enforcement agent.

We believe that a full and complete investigation of this incident will show that there have been no violations of the Bail Enforcement Act, and that the arrest of Mr. Henderson on such allegations was without merit.

Dunn said they too could be held accountable for what happened Thursday night and could also face felony charges.

“Now there are consequences,” said Dunn. “Every bondsman is responsible now, legally responsible for hiring licensed people. It's also a crime to present yourself as a bail enforcer when you are not.”