Man Charged With Forging Bail Bond For Woman Charged In Heroin Overdose

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A Champlin man has been charged with forging a bail bond in the case of a woman charged with murder for her role in a fatal heroin overdose.

According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, 45-year-old Anthony Hanson faces two counts of aggravated forgery.

The criminal complaint states Beverly Burrell contacted Ability Bail Bonds – where Hanson is the director of operations – in May to discuss posting a bond. Burrell was charged with third degree murder in connection with the sale of heroin to a man who fatally overdosed. Burrell is currently charged in four such cases.

Burrell's bail was $350,000. Burrell's family paid Hanson $18,500 toward the bail, the complaint states.

Hanson only had a $100,000 bond, so he used glue and tweezers to remove a "5" from a $5,000 bond and paste it onto the $100,000 bond, according to the complaint.

Burrell's bond was posted and she was released from custody.

In June, Financial Casualty & Surety Inc. reported fraud by Ability to the Commerce Department. Ability had posted the $350,000 bond, but Financial never issued Ability a large enough Power of Attorney form to post a bond that high, the complaint states.

When the fraud was discovered, authorities issued a warrant for Burrell's arrest.

Hanson admitted to investigators he kept most of the money Burrell's family provided. He also admitted to forging his wife's signature – she is listed as the owner of Ability.

Ability opened in 2009. The Commerce Department revoked Hanson's insurance producer's license in 2008 for committing fraud while working for Integrity Bonding.