A former bounty hunter was found guilty of criminal restraint for the night he entered a Lawrence residence and confronted a man and woman while looking for a man who had skipped bail.

Wednesday, a Douglas County jury of 11 women and one man rejected more serious felony charges of kidnapping filed against Tim James, 41, Lawrence.

Instead the jury decided on the option of two counts of misdemeanor criminal restraint.

The jury found James innocent of conspiracy to kidnap Rick and Gloria Ramos, aggravated burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary and a misdemeanor charge of impersonating a police officer.

“I’m just glad something happened to him,” said Rick Ramos, shortly after the verdicts were announced by Judge Michael Malone. “He didn’t get away with anything. He was held accountable for something.”

James was one of four men who entered the Ramoses’ eastern Lawrence residence the night of Jan. 15, 2001, looking for a man who had skipped bond and was wanted on a felony warrant in Jackson County, Mo.

James said the four identified themselves as bail enforcement agents when they entered after knocking on the door. James said he was assisting agents working for a Kansas City-area bonding company.

The men believed Rick Ramos knew the suspect, said to be Terry Finch, and could lead them to him, James said.

Rick Ramos, however, said the men terrorized him and his mother and that they claimed to be federal agents with a “U.S bonding company” with jurisdiction over the police.

Rick Ramos said one of the men, identified as Michael L. Johnson, 34, Kansas City, Mo., offered him a $1,000 reward if he would lead them to a Kansas City, Kan., address where Finch could be found.

Thinking he had no choice, Rick Ramos said, he went with the men, but Finch was not found at that time.

Lawrence Police began an investigation after Rick Ramos called them to ask about the reward he had been offered. He said he had learned Finch was later taken into custody.

James’ attorney, Charles Branson, argued his client had done nothing wrong aiding the out-of-town bounty hunters.

Branson said he was pleased with the verdicts. He said he and James had offered the same outcome through a plea negotiation with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.

“The state wanted to spend the time and effort to go for it,” Branson said.

The sentence for one count of criminal restraint is 12 months in jail. Malone set sentencing for 11:30 a.m. Sept. 27.

James already is serving a 21-year sentence in the Lansing Correctional Facility after being convicted last year in Jefferson County for his role in planning a burglary that led to the beating of an elderly man.

Johnson, the second suspect in the case, also was charged with counts of kidnapping, aggravated burglary and impersonating a police officer.

Last month, however, he pleaded no contest to reduced charges of attempted aggravated burglary and making a criminal threat. He is to be sentenced by Malone at 4:30 p.m. today.