Bondsman accused of selling bonds without a license

April 05--A bail bondsman with ties to Frederick was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of operating without a license, according to a news release from the Maryland Insurance Administration.

Lovrico Johnson Sr. committed fraud by selling bonds without a license, officials say. He was arrested and was being held in Baltimore County.

Johnson operated Hard Knocks Bail Bonds, Hard Knocks Bail Bonds Co. and AAAA U Got Bail Bail Bonds, companies that were cited for violating state insurance laws.

The state Insurance Administration revoked Johnson's license in August 2012 after it discovered Johnson lied on his application about criminal convictions. Officials also investigated a number of complaints and found he owed more than $30,000 in restitution to clients.

Hard Knocks Bail Bonds, Hard Knocks Bail Bonds Co. and AAAA U Got Bail Bail Bonds all had their licenses revoked in 2014 for violations of the state's insurance laws.

Hard Knocks operates in most of the state and lists a Frederick mailing address.

The Maryland Insurance Administration filed for a temporary and permanent injunction against Hard Knocks Bail Bonds in Frederick County Circuit Court after revoking the license of the company in 2014. The temporary restraining order has been in place, but Johnson relocated the company's website to different servers in an attempt to continue doing business, according to court records.

-- Kelsi Loos

Follow Kelsi Loos on Twitter: @KelsiLoos.

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