Lakeland, FL - The alleged ringleader of the students accused of brutally beating a classmate is out of jail. And talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw may be behind it.
Friday, April 11, a Florida judge set the bail at $30,000 to $37,000 for the eight teens accused of beating a girl on video.
That night, reporters waited outside of the jail as some of the teens posted bond and left. But a man who identified himself as a producer with the Dr. Phil show was also at the jail. And there are reports the show may have paid the bond for accused ringleader, Mercades Nichols. As the 17 year-old was led out of the jail Friday night, reporters rushed her, but the supposed Dr. Phil producer kept yelling back at the other reporters, "We have exclusivity... We have signed forms... We have exclusivity!"
The producer would not say if it actually was the Dr. Phil show that put up the cash for the bond.
The owner of Heartland Bail Bonds, which bonded the teen out, says he can't reveal who paid the bond.
Stephen Williams says "We can’t really disclose information who posted bond. The only thing I can tell you is that we did post the bond for Mercades. As far as information on who did it, that's not something we can disclose."
