Unlicensed Dog The Bounty Hunter Not Allowed To Arrest Brian Laundrie, Could Face Kidnapping Charges If He Holds Fugitive Against His Will
Dog The Bounty Hunter is unlicensed in Florida, making him unable to arrest Brian Laundrie if the professional fugitive finder locates the missing 23-year-old.
According to Daily Mail, Dog does not have a bounty hunter or private investigator license in the state that he's searching in. If he holds Brian against his will, the reality star could face possible kidnapping charges.
Professional bounty hunters in Florida tell the outlet that there's no difference between Dog and a regular citizen.
Mike Harrison — the vice president of the Florida Bail Bondsmen Association — said state bounty hunters are laughing at Dog's efforts to find Brian, whose fiancée Gabby Petito was found dead in Wyoming on September 19.
Harrison told DM if Dog does capture and hold Brian, he could be facing criminal charges. "That would be kidnapping or false imprisonment," the Tallahassee-based bondsmen said.
Dog has been keeping fans up-to-date with his search efforts and recently claimed he turned evidence over to the FBI.
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Many speculate his effort to find Brian is simply a pitch for a new reality show — something that Dog has denied, but one of his daughters isn't too sure.
According to Cecily Chapman, her father's search for the fugitive is nothing more than a "publicity stunt."
“It's just a publicity stunt. That's really what it is. He needs to back off and let the FBI handle it," Cecily told The Sun.
His daughter also questioned how he's been able to afford the continued search. “Realistically, how is he doing this, what the hell is he doing, and who is funding this nonsense!?” she asked.
Cecily claimed Dog's "water stuff" looks "totally staged," referring to a video showing her dad in waist-height water during the search.
Brian has been missing since September 13 after he allegedly went on a solo hike in the Carlton Reserve. 6 days later, Gabby's body was found near a campsite in Wyoming where she and Brian were said to have visited.
The coroner ruled Gabby's death a homicide.
Brian was named as a person of interest but not a suspect. The FBI currently has a warrant out for his arrest after they discovered he used an "unauthorized" credit card to pull out $1,000 days after Gabby was last seen alive.
Brian's father, Christopher Laundrie, helped the FBI in their search efforts on Thursday, but there were "no discoveries."
