Arizona Bounty Hunter Accused of Setting Up Rivals With 'False Tip'
The rivals were sent to the Phoenix chief of police's home.
— -- A bounty hunter is accused of setting up a rival group this month by sending them to a police chief’s home.
Aaron Michael Bray, 28, allegedly sent the group to Phoenix Chief of Police Joseph Yahner’s home with a false tip that a fugitive they were hunting was inside.
“It was pretty much in reckless disregard of everyone’s safety, from the chiefs to the bounty hunters that were sent to the home that night, and he is looking at a … felony,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Trent Crump said.
Bray, who has been arrested on suspicion of computer tampering, used a “burner” app on his cellphone to trick the competing bounty hunters into raiding the wrong home, according to police.
The botched Aug. 4 bust ended with one bounty hunter under arrest. Brent Farley, 43, was charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct.
“Before we knocked the door, I sent another text, ‘Is he [the fugitive] still there?’ And they [Bray] came back and said the person that dropped him off has not picked him up yet,” Farley said.
Farley maintains his innocence and has not yet entered a plea.
Bray was allegedly recorded by bail bondsman Michael Roldan while talking about his plan to use a fake number to set up Farley’s team, police said. Roldan turned the recordings over to police, telling ABC affiliate station KNXV-TV in Phoenix the stunt gives everyone in his field a bad name.
“I can’t tell you why Bray did what he did, but I can tell you it was wrong, and we didn’t like it,” Roldan said.
ABC News has been unable to reach Bray.
