Ex-RPA director who fled abuse trial captured in Kentucky

A former Redmond Proficiency Academy director who removed his GPS ankle bracelet and fled before a court hearing on sex abuse charges last fall was captured Friday by federal marshals who surrounded his RV in Paducah, Kentucky, authorities said.

Michael Tallman, 46, formerly known as Michael Bremont, had spent over a year in prison after his earlier convictions for abusing two underage students, one at RPA and one in a separate Linn County case involving his time as a school administrator there.

Authorities suspected there were other victims, but there wasn’t probable cause to file charges, Redmond police Lt. Curtis Chambers said last fall.

Tallman was arrested again in December 2017 on 10 counts of sexual abuse, several months after another alleged victim came forward to police to disclose a sexual relationship with the RPA official when she was a student and said it began when she was under the age of 18.

Tallman was due to go on trial last October on the new allegations but allegedly removed the tracking bracelet and fled just days before. Authorities turned to the public for help in locating him and said at that time he’d likely fled the state.

Early Friday, Redmond police and the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office learned Tallman had been arrested on a fugitive from justice arrest warrant in McCracken County, Kentucky.

The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that information developed by FBI agents in Bend led to a fugitive task force finding Tallman in an RV in the Paducah area.

Chambers said the task force reportedly had the RV surrounded when Tallman allegedly tried to climb out a window and escape.

He was taken into custody on the arrest warrant and two new local charges of fleeing or evading police (on foot) and resisting arrest.

“At this time, the Redmond Police Department and the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office are very appreciative of the work conducted by the US Marshal’s Office and the FBI, particularly the work done by the FBI – Bend Field Office for their perseverance in helping locate Mr. Tallman,” Chambers said in a news release.

It’s not known at this time when Tallman, who is being held without bail, will be transported back to Deschutes County to face the charges, Chambers said.