A bounty hunter has pleaded guilty to illegal brandishing in an incident where he is accused of unlawfully detaining a Green Valley resident, falsely claiming to have a warrant for his immigration arrest.
Matthew Mallory has also entered a no contest plea to a charge of trespassing in connection to the June incident, where prosecutors say he lied about having a document from the Department of Homeland Security in order to enter a home and detain a victim at gunpoint.
Mallory was ordered to forfeit his bail enforcement license under the terms of a plea agreement, the Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday. He is also required to serve 50 hours of community service and pay $800 in restitution to the victim, according to court documents.
“This case reflects an egregious abuse of authority by someone entrusted with a dangerous responsibility,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti said in a statement. “No family should ever endure a violent intrusion into their home under the guise of law enforcement.”
Mallory’s guilty plea for brandishing a firearm carries a deferred sentence. After 18 months, so long as he has general good behavior, the charge will be dropped.
Mallory also received a suspended 30-day jail sentence for pleading no contest to trespassing. The sentence will go away if it is not imposed within 12 months.
“While we think that, had he gone to trial, Mr. Mallory had several legal defenses which may have been successful, ultimately, we were able to reach a result which will allow Mr. Mallory to move on with only minimal effect on his life,” Mallory’s attorney, Gilbert Ambler, told ARLnow.
On the evening of June 11, according to prosecutors, Mallory visited a home claiming that he was in search of a “fugitive” under authority of federal immigration officials.
“Although he displayed a document appearing to come from the Department of Homeland Security, the individual named on the document did not live at the address and ICE later stated they knew nothing about the document,” the commonwealth’s attorney’s office said.
Prosecutors said that Mallory, armed with a firearm, forced his way inside the residence after its occupants refused to grant him entry.
“While walking with the resident toward a side entrance, the man drew a firearm and forced his way inside,” the commonwealth’s attorney’s office said. “Once in the home, he shoved one of the adult sons to the ground and pointed the weapon at him. The intruder then entered a bedroom where the woman and her partner were preparing for bed, and forcibly detained the partner in handcuffs.”
Mallory reportedly placed the man in his vehicle and, according to NBC 4, drove around the area “presumably waiting for the ICE office in Chantilly to open.”
The man who had been detained by Mallory was briefly held in Chantilly before being relocated to Louisiana. He was ultimately deported to Honduras, according to the report.
Under Virginia Code, bounty hunters are forbidden from using any materials “representing that he is an agent, employee or instrumentality of the federal government, a state or any political subdivision of a state.”
“This resolution serves community safety because it removes Mr. Mallory from this line of work,” Dehgani-Tafti said. “But I also call upon the Department of Criminal Justice Services to strengthen their licensing procedures and polices to prevent anything like this from happening again.”
More from the press release is below.
Matthew Mallory, a licensed bail enforcement agent, has been sentenced in Arlington Circuit Court for a violent and unlawful intrusion into the home of an Arlington family.
On the night of June 11, 2025, an Arlington family contacted police after an unidentified man repeatedly banged on the door of their residence. Inside the home were a woman, her partner, and her two adult sons. The man at the door, later identified as Mr. Mallory, insisted he was searching for the female occupant and claimed that someone named “Eric” had sent him—an individual unknown to the family. At the time, Mr. Mallory did not identify himself either by name, his role, or his purpose. The family refused to open the door and called 911.
When Arlington County Police officers arrived, they encountered the same unidentified man, who stated he was searching for a “fugitive” inside the home and asserted—incorrectly— that he was in possession of an ICE warrant. Although he displayed a document appearing to come from the Department of Homeland Security, the individual named on the document did not live at the address and ICE later stated they knew nothing about the document.
As officers attempted to deescalate the interaction, the man continued to refuse to provide identification or credible information. When one resident exited the home to speak with him, the man again refused to identify the alleged fugitive and asked to enter the home. The resident declined.
While walking with the resident toward a side entrance, the man drew a firearm and forced his way inside. Once in the home, he shoved one of the adult sons to the ground and pointed the weapon at him. The intruder then entered a bedroom where the woman and her partner were preparing for bed, and forcibly detained the partner in handcuffs.
It was only after a police lieutenant arrived and demanded identification that the man revealed his name and produced evidence that he was a bail enforcement agent licensed by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.
A special grand jury convened by the Commonwealth subsequently indicted Mallory on three charges: Trespassing, Brandishing a Firearm, and Assault.
On February 23, 2026, Mallory entered pleas of no contest to the trespass charge and guilty to the brandishing charge. The assault charge was not prosecuted as part of a plea agreement. Mr. Mallory was sentenced to 30 days suspended time on a trespass charge, and an 18-month deferred adjudication on a brandishing charge, conditioned on 18 months of good behavior, completion of 50 hours of community service, restitution to the family, forfeiture of his firearm and bail enforcement agent license, and no contact with the family.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Commonwealth Attorney Carolyn Jackson on behalf of the Commonwealth. While delivering sentencing, Judge Lopez of the Arlington Circuit Court describing the circumstances as “disturbing.”
Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani‑Tafti emphasized the seriousness of the conduct: “This case reflects an egregious abuse of authority by someone entrusted with a dangerous responsibility. No family should ever endure a violent intrusion into their home under the guise of law enforcement. We are grateful for the court’s recognition of the gravity of this offense and the collaboration of the Department of Criminal Justice Services. This resolution serves community safety because it removes Mr. Mallory from this line of work. But I also call upon the Department of Criminal Justice Services to strengthen their licensing procedures and polices to prevent anything like this from happening again.”
