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Former bail bondsman accepts plea deal, foregoes trial in Orange County

A judge on Monday accepted the terms of his plea, which included no contest to racketeering.

Russell Moncrief plea agreement Investigators said Moncrief, now 75, developed a pattern of targeting female inmates and bonding them out of local jails in exchange for sex. (WFTV staff)

ORLANDO, Fla. — A trial for a former bail bondsman that was scheduled to begin Monday in Orange County has ended in a plea agreement.

It’s a story Channel 9 has been following since Russell Moncrief’s arrest in October 2024.

Investigators said Moncrief, now 77, developed a pattern of targeting female inmates and bonding them out of local jails in exchange for sex.

A judge on Monday accepted the terms of his plea, which included no contest to racketeering.

Charges related to human trafficking and unlawful use of a two-way communication device were dropped in exchange for his plea.

Moncrief will be out on bond until his sentencing, which has been set for January 2027.

His punishment is expected to be 34.5 months in prison.

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