CERVANTES

JOHNSON

WOONSOCKET — Call it a mutiny on the bounty hunters.

Woonsocket police said on Tuesday that two men who purchased “bounty hunter” credentials from an online source have been charged with assault and breaking and entering for forcing their way into an apartment and taking a Woonsocket woman into custody on May 7.

“We’re still knocking our heads on this,” commented Lt. Eugene Jalette of the Woonsocket police. “We’ve never seen this before.”

The woman, Rebecca Ball, 18, of 90 Blackstone St., was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear in District Court on a charge of assault.

Jalette said the men handcuffed Ball and drove her to Cumberland police headquarters, where bail commissioner Richard Finnegan released her pending a court appearance.

Officers in Cumberland recommended that Ball go to the Woonsocket police to file a complaint, Jalette said.

She did just that the next day, Jalette said.

Detective Thomas Calouro of the Woonsocket police began looking into the matter. He reported that the “bounty hunters,” Brandon Johnson, 36, and Ronald Cervantes, 39, both of 620 Elm St., decided to start a company to apprehend fugitives. He said they went to an online source called beabountyhunter.com and paid $235, for which they received bounty hunter badges and identification cards.

“They sure look official,” Jalette said of the ID paraphernalia, “but they’re not.”

Once armed with their credentials, Johnson, Cervantes and three companions went to Ball’s apartment and took Ball into custody.

Calouro obtained arrest warrants for Johnson and Cervantes. They turned themselves in on Tuesday. Johnson was released on bail. Cervantes was held as a probation violator from a Superior Court case about which details were lacking.

Jalette said no action was taken against the other three individuals because they played only a minor role and the police could not prove they had criminal intent.

Of the bounty hunter caper, Jalette said, “It’s quite unique.”

tmorgan@projo.com