Puget Law Group Warns of Jail Scam Victims

TACOMA, Wash., Sept. 28, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Puget Law Group, the premier criminal defense firm in Washington state, is warning the public about a scam targeting families of people booked into Pierce County jail. The firm has received a growing number of calls from families who were contacted by someone falsely claiming to be one of the company’s partners and criminal defense trial attorneys, Kyle Ehlers. The scammers monitor the Pierce County jail's public booking log and call family members within an hour of an arrest, sometimes even before the family has learned their loved one is in custody. The caller identifies themselves as a public defender, sometimes using the name Kyle Ehlers or referencing a representative from the Department of Assigned Counsel, and promises to appear at the bail hearing and secure the defendant's release from jail for $500 to $1,500. Families typically discover the fraud only when no one shows up to represent their loved one in court. In at least one case, the same family received two separate scam calls from two different callers within hours.

The scammers' tactics are particularly insidious. They appear to be monitoring the Pierce County jail's public booking log and calling family members within an hour of an arrest, sometimes even before the family has learned their loved one is in custody. The caller identifies themselves as a public defender, sometimes using the name Kyle Ehlers or referencing a representative from the Department of Assigned Counsel, and promises to appear at the bail hearing and secure the defendant's release from jail for $500 to $1,500. Families typically discover the fraud only when no one shows up to represent their loved one in court. In at least one case, the same family received two separate scam calls from two different callers within hours.

Kyle Ehlers, a partner at Puget Law Group, spent nearly four years as a public defender with the King County Department of Public Defense, where he represented clients facing charges ranging from simple misdemeanors to complex violent felonies. His professional background and reputation have made him a convincing name for scammers to invoke, but the firm emphasizes that neither Mr. Ehlers nor any legitimate attorney would ever contact a family this way. Attorneys and public defenders will never cold-call you or your family, according to Ehlers. They will never ask for payment to guarantee your loved one's release on bail.

The firm offers the following guidance to help families protect themselves: An attorney will never cold-call you to solicit payment. Professional conduct rules governing attorneys in Washington state prohibit this kind of solicitation. Public defenders, or representatives from the Department of Assigned Counsel, do not charge a fee. The court appoints them for defendants who qualify financially; the family doesn’t pay. A private defense attorney will not initiate contact with you. Legitimate representation is arranged by the defendant or a family member who contacts a firm directly; it is never initiated by an unsolicited call requesting money. Families should verify before they pay. If they receive a call like this, they should hang up and look up the attorney's name on the Washington State Bar Association's website, wsba.org. They should call the phone number listed on the attorney's official WSBA profile, not the number given to them by the caller, to confirm whether the call was legitimate.

Puget Law Group encourages anyone who believes they have been victimized by this scam and needs assistance with a criminal defense matter to contact the firm. The firm is committed to working with those affected and supporting them through this difficult situation.

The firm is committed to supporting those affected by the scam and will work with them to address their legal needs.