Manny Periu, the former Broward bondsman known for accidentally chauffeuring a bank robber, is back in jail after being arrested Tuesday night on charges he threatened a witness in a drug-trafficking case.
That clash was foreshadowed, it seems, by the conflict that spilled into this Juice comments thread following an August 27 post about Periu. If that conversation is any indication, then Periu targeted his former bounty-hunter partner, John Liberatore.
I've left a message with Liberatore and hope to hear back today.
Liberatore was the other passenger in Periu's car when, in June 2008, they drove a suspected bank robber, Joe Clardy, to a bank in Hollywood, ostensibly so he could withdraw his own money to pay his bond. Instead, Clardy robbed that bank. Clardy pulled the same stunt a day earlier, with just Periu, after the bondsman bailed Clardy out of jail.
It's not clear whether Liberatore is in fact a witness.
Periu's initial arrest in the drug-trafficking case occurred August 11. He's accused of brokering some $3,000 in cocaine sales to undercover agents. Periu lost his bondsman license in fall 2008 after a bust for possession of ecstasy.
I'll update this post as more information comes to light.
UPDATE: Periu will be booked later today or early Friday on additional charges that originate in Miami-Dade County, according to a reliable source. Those charges will involve drug trafficking.
