Escapee's brother in plea negotiations

SANDPOINT — Bail was reduced Wednesday for a Bonner County man implicated in his fugitive brother’s attempts to elude capture by law enforcement.

Bonner County Deputy Prosecutor Roger Hanlon stipulated to reduced bail in Allen Lee Dunnagan Sr.’s case and advised Judge Quentin Harden plea negotiations are under way, according to court documents.

The terms of the plea deal were not disclosed during the brief hearing and Hanlon does not comment on pending cases.

Dunnagan’s public defender, Serra Woods, could not be reached for a comment after the bail hearing.

The negotiations are reportedly calibrated toward apprehending Leland Elroy Dunnagan, although that report could not be confirmed on Wednesday.

Leland Dunnagan, 52, escaped from Idaho State Trooper Jeff Jayne’s vehicle while handcuffed on March 13. He was under arrest for illegally possessing a firearm and now faces a felony charge of escape.

Leland Dunnagan, now the subject of a $100,000 arrest warrant, is a registered sex offender. He was charged in Twin Falls County with lewd conduct with a minor in 1991, but later pleaded guilty to an amended charge of rape, Idaho State Judiciary records show.

Allen Dunnagan, 53, denied aiding in his younger brother’s efforts to evade capture, but was allegedly spotted driving with his younger brother on March 27 on Rapid Lightning Road.

Allen Dunnagan was arrested on April 1 on suspicion of harboring a wanted felon, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. His bail was set at $50,000, but now stands at $5,000, court records indicate.

A preliminary hearing in Allen Dunnagan’s case is set for April 14.