Santa Barbara Bail Agent Charged with Felony Grand Theft for Allegedly Stealing $25,000 from Clients
Sean Wilczak, 29, Reportedly Took His Clients’ Cash but Failed to Post Their Bonds
A former Santa Barbara bail agent has been charged with three felony counts of grand theft for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from his clients.
The previously licensed bail agent and insurance producer, Sean Wilczak, 29, was arraigned in Santa Barbara Superior Court on Friday, December 30, according to the California Department of Insurance.
Wilczak allegedly stole a total of $25,000 from three bail clients, the Insurance Department said in a press release on Friday. The department said they received multiple complaints from Wilczak’s bail clients, in which they alleged Wilczak took cash from them but failed to post a bond.
Wilczak reportedly had been illegally operating in Santa Barbara under an unregistered business name, Wolf Bail Bonds. While using the unregistered business name in May and June of last year, he met with the families of two criminal defendants who were seeking bail. According to the Insurance Department, during these meetings, Wilczak secured the combined total of $25,000 in cash for bail deposits.
However, they said, Wilczak failed to post the defendants’ bonds and never filed bond applications on behalf of either of the defendants, nor has he refunded any of the cash payments he received.
Wilczak advertised himself as the owner of Wolf Bail Bonds in Santa Barbara for more than a year. Wilczak’s website for Wolf Bail Bonds has since been taken down, and all that’s left of its internet presence is a Yelp page with just one five-star review from two years ago.
The Department revoked Wilczak’s license on August 22, 2022. The case is being prosecuted by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, with a preliminary hearing setting scheduled for February.
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