Regan Bail Bonds tracked down Anatoly Kutsar in Florida, called in local law enforcement, and together they captured the fugitive
A tip from a bail bonds service based in Vancouver led to the arrest of two fugitives in Florida in a case that surprised law enforcement with the brazen ways of the criminals and the large scale of their criminal operation.
Anatoly Kutsar, who evaded law enforcement in Clark County this summer and again got away when agents from Regan Bail Bonds tried to apprehend him in July, was arrested along with a girlfriend, Rachel Kaz-Clark, at a hotel in Collier County, Florida, last week.
And not without one more bizarre attempt to escape.
Kutsar and Kaz-Clark barricaded themselves in their hotel room when they were confronted by law enforcement, then cut a hole in the wall to get into the next room, where they then tried to escape through a window.
Kutsar was taken into custody there by Collier County deputies with the help of Richard Hassler, an agent who works for Regan Bail Bonds.
“It’s a massive whale of a case,” said David Regan, owner of Regan Bail Bonds. “I’ve never seen anything of this size.”
Kutsar did not just steal IDs, or checks. He was into stealing anything and everything, Regan noted.
“He’s victimized probably several thousand people in this area,” Regan said of Southwest Washington. “From all the mail he has stolen, the cars he has broken into, the accounts he has hacked, the credit cards he has duplicated.
“This guy is out 12 hours a day stealing from people. It’s not like this guy is just breaking into a few cars,” Regan said.
Oh, he also is suspected of stealing cars from dealerships, using fake IDs to get test drives.
Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk had similar descriptions when he held a news conference on Monday to detail the arrest. His office displayed dozens of stolen items but said there were “hundreds and hundreds of pieces of property” that were recovered.
“That is their way of life. That is their career. They do this for a living,” Rambosk said. “They have committed it from the state of Washington to the state of Florida, and we’re suspecting many states in between.”
Computers, phones, sunglasses, keys, garage door openers, weapons, and jewelry were on display. Regan said Kutsar also had printing devices to make his own identification cards and credit cards, using the names of his victims.
“I’ve been doing bail bonds for 20 years, and this is one of the biggest operations we’ve stumbled across,” Regan said.
The Vancouver Police Department, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, and Regan Bail Bonds had been looking for Kutsar for some time. Then Collier County in Florida got involved, too.
“A pretty big network of people pooling resources together to try to capture him,” Regan said. “He’s the most dangerous, most wanted, most narcissistic criminal defender that we’ve ever dealt with.”
Regan called it a “missed opportunity” when he and a few of his agents tried to apprehend Kutsar in Clark County in July. One of the agents was assaulted. Kutsar was hit by a taser and two blasts to the face by pepper spray.
“The guy kept running like it wasn’t affecting him,” Regan said. “Some of it blew back on me and I could barely breathe.”
Regan theorized that Kutsar was under the influence of drugs. In fact, Collier County did find crystal methamphetamine in the hotel room in Florida.
It was Regan who tracked Kutsar to Florida. Hassler and two other agents picked up the trail in Florida and monitored Kutsar. At first, they found him at a residence with children. It is believed that Kutsar was visiting his wife and children, Regan said.
Knowing that Kutsar had weapons, Regan advised the agents to maintain surveillance but not to approach Kutsar there.
Later, Kutsar was followed to a hotel. He came and went several times for roughly three days. When agents were satisfied they could apprehend him, they called local law enforcement.
“They rolled a dozen units there to help out,” Regan said. “They surrounded the building.”
Kutsar and Kaz-Clark were in the lobby when they were approached, then fled to their room and barricaded the door.
After cutting a hole in the wall and trying to escape from the next room’s window, Collier County deputies and Hassler tackled Kutsar. (Kaz-Clark got away but was apprehended the next day.)
“Talk about adrenaline-packed,” Regan said.
It turns out, Kutsar and Kaz-Clark fit the description of two people who had robbed a nearby post office in Florida. Not stealing from mailboxes, but actually breaking into a post office and stealing two to three white plastic bins labeled “United States Post Office” that appeared to be full of mail and packages, according to the arrest report.
“They just commit crime for a living,” Rambosk said. “And apparently enjoy it. Or did enjoy it.”
Kutsar, 39, has been charged in Florida with burglary, criminal mischief over $1,000, and resisting law enforcement without violence. He also has a fugitive justice warrant from the state of Washington and five more warrants from Washington.
“More charges are definitely coming,” Rambosk said.
The sheriff also noted that his office will be trying to track down owners of the stolen property in an effort to return the items. Some of the items were from Florida residents, but he said most of the items are likely from outside of the state.
“They’ve left a trail of victims throughout the United States,” Rambosk said.
Regan said he and his agents were thrilled to find Kutsar and happy to help law enforcement.
“My guys were right there on the spot, hands-on with the police,” Regan said. “We were working side-by-side with the police.”
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