Felon no hotshot after weapons pose

The first mistake Alfonso Mares made was allowing himself to be interviewed for a profile in Las Vegas Weekly.

His second mistake was claiming to be a bounty hunter.

The third mistake, and the one that eventually landed him in jail, was posing in a photo with a Taser and a handgun on his hips.

Someone concerned about the content read the profile, which was published in July. It was compelling: Mares described being shot twice in his bullet-proof vest, bursting into homes and using a stun gun on suspects. The unidentified reader contacted Henderson police, and a detective discovered Mares was a two-time felon, meaning it was illegal for him to carry a gun or a Taser.

The police, citing the Weekly's article and photo, obtained a search warrant for Mares' Henderson home two weeks ago. They found 37 weapons stashed in a "hidden secret alcove" above his living room, Mares' arrest report said.

Mares' convictions include kidnapping, grand larceny and attempted accessory to burglary, police said.

Thirty-seven charges of ex-felon in possession of a firearm later, and Mares has become the talk of the local bail bonds community. (For the record, his bail was a staggering $186,000.)

"In the bail community it's been going around," said Chris Ball, owner of local bounty hunting agency Silver State Recovery. "When that article in the Weekly first came out, I got 16 phone calls from people (in the industry)."

Mares didn't respond to requests for comment. The arrest report said he denied possessing a firearm. The Nevada Department of Business and Industry's Division of Insurance, which licenses bounty hunters, confirmed a license has not been granted to anyone under Mares' name.

That he was able to work for five years in the state, as he claimed in the article, without a license has puzzled some in the industry.

"I was shocked to find out he was an ex-felon," said Ed Rosas, a bounty hunter who worked with Mares. "I did ask him if he had a license, and he said yes, so that was it."

The state doesn't grant such licenses to felons. Bounty hunters, formally called bail enforcement agents, have to show documentation to their employer, but they don't have to show it when they turn in their catches to the jail, some said.

The state requires 80 hours of training for bounty hunters at a community college for licensing. For a bail bondsman, only a day is needed, but a bondsman is allowed to go after people who don't appear in court on their own bonds. A bondsman does not have to farm such a job out to a bounty hunter.

Apprehending fugitives can be dangerous, but the job comes with unusual power. Bounty hunters, or bondsmen, are allowed to enter homes without consent of the people they're pursuing if they clear it with police first. But some said police almost always give the consent.

"Bounty hunting is kind of a gray area," said Clay Daley, owner of In-N-Out Bail Bonds. "I went to school for one day and I can enter somebody's place without a warrant?"

Mares' photo in the article surprised others for an obvious reason: He showed his face, something most bounty hunters avoid for fear of being recognized.

Ball, who worked with Mares, said he and his employer could be vulnerable to lawsuits. "He's taking someone's freedom," Ball said. "We're licensed bail enforcement agents. ... Along with that license comes the authority to make an arrest."

Contact reporter Lawrence Mower at lmower@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.