Leland Chapman
Leland Blaine Chapman (born December 14, 1976 in Groom, Texas, USA [1]) is an American bail bondsman and bounty hunter, most noted for his role on A&E TV's Dog the Bounty Hunter, in which he, along with his father Duane "Dog" Chapman and various friends and family track down and capture wanted fugitives.
Personal Life and Career
Leland Blaine Chapman was born the second son of Duane "Dog" Chapman and Dog's first wife, La Fonda Sue Darnall (née Honeycutt). When Leland was eight months old, his father was sent to prison. During Dog's incarceration, Leland's parents divorced, and he did not see his father again, until he was eight years old, when Dog gained visitation rights to see him and his brother Duane Lee. Until then, Leland had believed that his step father was his biological father.
Leland spent his early years in Pampa, Texas, but during his teen years, moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. As a teenager, Leland got into trouble, and his mother, who couldn't handle him any longer, put him into foster care and put him into a boy care home. At thirteen, Leland was given the option to live with his father, which he took.
During his teen years, Leland was a gang member in Colorado Springs, and frequently skipped school, causing Dog to regularly check to make sure he was attending, negatively affecting Leland's "street cred". Leland ran away from home. Leland graduated high school in 1994, the only one of his brothers and sisters to have done so.
At seventeen, Leland began training in boxing and mixed martial arts. With the help of his good friend, Sonny Westbrook (who has appeared many times on Dog the Bounty Hunter), Leland won many competitions. In 2003, Leland, who up until that time had divided his time between his family's bail bonds business, and competitive boxing, retired from the sport after an injury to his left knee.
Leland works for his father, Duane "Dog" Chapman, at their family's bail bonds company, Da Kine Bail Bonds. Other family members working for the company include Beth Chapman (née Smith; Dog's current wife), Duane Lee Chapman (Dog's son/Leland's brother), and "Baby" Lyssa Chapman (Dog's daughter/Leland's half-sister), among others.
Leland has recently embarked on a new business venture with two of his brothers, Duane Lee and Wesley Chapman. Together they have formed Chapbros Media, and have launched an iPhone, iPod Touch, and website talent contest application called, "Show Off". [2]
Leland has two sons from his previous marriage, Dakota Chapman (born March 24, 1995), and Cobie Chapman (born December 7, 2000). Leland also has a daughter, Leiah Breanna Chapman (born September 5, 2010), with girlfriend Lynette.
Arrest
On September 14, 2006, Leland Chapman was arrested along with Duane "Dog" Chapman and Tim Chapman by U.S. Marshals at the request of the Mexican government, and were to be extradited to Mexico to face charges of "deprivation of liberty".
The charges stem from an incident where Leland, Dog, and Tim were chasing fugitive and serial rapist Andrew Luster, the Max Factor Cosmetics heir. They captured Luster on June 18, 2003 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Shortly after the capture, the three were themselves arrested by Puerto Vallarta police officers; the three posted bail but never returned to Mexico for their court hearing on July 15, 2003. [3]
Leland, Dog, and Tim were released from custody on bail; Leland and Tim's bail was set at $100,000 each, while Dog's was set at $300,000. After their release, all three were fitted with electronic bracelets, and were ordered to surrender their passports, and not leave the state of Hawaii. They faced an extradition hearing to Mexico, under the terms of treaties between the United States and Mexico. [4]
On the August 4, 2007 episode of Larry King Live, it was announced that the charges filed against the three bounty hunters had been dropped by the Mexican government. If convicted, the three could have been sentenced to up to four years in prison.
References
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1727090/
- ^ "Chapbros Media Webpage".
- ^ "'Dog' collared for jumping bail in Mexico". CNN. September 15, 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-21.
- ^ Kobayashi, Ken (September 16, 2006). "'Dog' freed on bail, says he'll be cleared". Honolulu Advertiser.
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