EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Dog the Bounty Hunter's 'Nephew' Rages TV Bondsman Set Him Up To Be Jailed — And Tells of Prison 'Hell'
Justin Bihag, the non-biological nephew of Duane 'Dog' Chapman, is speaking out for the first time following his release from jail.
May 14 2025, Published 7:45 p.m. ET
Dog the Bounty Hunter's nephew is out of jail and out for justice.
In a bombshell sit-down with RadarOnline.com, Justin Bihag pointed the finger at Duane 'Dog' Chapman and daughter Lyssa Chapman – accusing them of orchestrating the twist that put him behind bars in 2020.
Justin Bihag claimed Duane 'Dog' Chapman and his daughter Lyssa 'set him up' to be arrested in 2020.
Bihag's days on A&E's Dog The Bounty Hunter are long gone, but the family drama came roaring back five years ago when a fiery clash with Lyssa ultimately led to his arrest.
Fans might recall Bihag being billed as Dog's nephew – but in reality, he’s the son of Dog and Beth Chapman’s longtime pal and assistant, Moon Angell.
While not blood-related, the two were practically family... though not everyone welcomed him with open arms.
Bihag landed in the spotlight in 2020 after Lyssa called police, claiming he broke a court order to stay off booze and drugs following a woman's report he was acting aggressively.
He claimed: "No, Lyssa called Jefferson and violated my probation. They came to arrest me on the assumption I had stolen Beth's ashes and sold them for $2.5million."
Bihag's time in jail was "freakin' horrible" at first, as he recalled being known as "the guy who stole Beth's ashes" and would constantly be asked "where all the money was."
But during those first days behind bars, pieces also began falling into place – all signs, he claimed, pointed to his arrest being a calculated setup.
He remembered Dog sending a family photo from his birthday dinner to TMZ before the outlet dropped a story angled at Moon's absence, which was followed by "15 to 18 SWAT law enforcement officers" waiting for him outside Dog's mansion.
Bihag, Dog's 'nephew,' appeared on the family's reality show, 'Dog the Bounty Hunter.'
Bihag was then taken into custody for violating his probation related to a previous domestic violence charge, as stated in the arrest report.
After making bail, Bihag was re-arrested days later over "two outstanding warrants" – but he claims it all stemmed from Lyssa accusing him of stealing Beth's ashes and trying to sell them for $2.5million on eBay.
The former reality star was released from the slammer at the end of November – but in his eyes, a pre-meditated cash grab and a Chapman family resurgence in mainstream media was the reasoning behind why he was put there in the first place.
Bihag detailed how he went to dinner for Dog's birthday before he arrived back at his mansion and was put in handcuffs.
Bihag explained: "I know I was set up. I know things were done to make them obviously a lot of money."
He added: "For me, I know money was made. A lot of bullcrap was told. I lost my freedom, man. I lost seeing my daughters."
Bihag admitted he was "down at the time" of his arrest due to losing loved ones, further recognizing he had violated his parole.
The Day He Was Cuffed Outside Dog's Mansion
The former TV star said the Chapman family 'took away his freedom' and pre-planned his arrest to make money from the media.
He then went on to describe the moments before his arrest, first noting how it was all "pre-meditated and pre-planned" and how Dog had conjured up an entire "scheme."
Bihag said the family had gone to a Behinana in Denver, Colorado for Dog's birthday dinner, when they left and went back to the bondsman's house – where he was cuffed for the second time in one week.
He explained: "We pull up to his mansion and there's nine frickin' SUVs that look like ours, and there's SWAT and local police departments. We're pulling to his house and I see all of this from afar."
Though Dog and Lyssa acted unaware of what was going on, Bihag was sure there was more to the story.
Bihag Says Dog and Lyssa Were Behind His Arrest
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The A&E personality said he realized his arrest was a set-up during his first few days of jail.
In Bihag's eyes, there was no mystery – Dog and Lyssa were the ones responsible for the whole ordeal.
He said: "I saw it clear as day. How did we leave Benihana, have a great dinner, (he gave me my 'last meal' so-to-say), and literally 30 minutes later, drops the story to TMZ that I'm there, mom's not... and I get arrested for the second time."
Bihag continued: "So Lissa made it blatantly clear that she made the call."
As for the motivation behind the alleged setup, Bihag claimed the father-daughter duo wanted to "make it a big spectacle for views, clicks, and money."
Bihag claimed Lyssa called police claiming he had stolen and sold Beth's ashes for millions.
Bihag further explained how he refuses to talk to Dog anymore because of how he "fabricated" and made false claims in a victim impact statement while Justin was in jail.
He said: "So then he tried to make like he had my back when that's all a con."
Additionally, Bihag claimed he never made any money from the family's reality show. He said he never had a contract and would instead be compensated with random $10,000 increments.
Dog the Bounty Hunter ran for eight seasons on A&E, from 2004 to 2012.
