Who is Tim Chapman From Dog The Bounty and What is He Up To These Days?

Tim Chapman is a former bounty hunter and reality TV star who gained fame for his appearances on the A&E reality TV series, Dog the Bounty Hunter. On the show, the man nicknamed Youngblood helped his partner Duane Lee Chapman track down and apprehend wanted criminals and fugitives.

Chapman was part of the show from the first season till the last even though he was off it for a brief period. It gets interesting to know that bounty hunting is something that has pretty much been in his family as many members of the Chapman household are bounty hunters.

Tim Chapman Comes From a Long Line of Bondsmen

Tim Chapman was born Timothy Charles Chapman in Ventura, California on May 13, 1965. He is the son of Ronald Chapman and Diane Wimberly. While it is not clear what his father did for a living, his mother was a bondswoman from Colorado. Diane and her parents owned and operated ABC Bail Bonds in Denver. Tim’s mother famously operated with the slogan “Let A Blond Write Your Bond”.

Following the separation of his parents when he was about 3 years of age, Tim and his brother Russell went to live with their paternal grandparents for a while. Later on in life, in his teenage years, he moved to Denver to live with his mother and maternal grandparents. It was while he was here that he fully embraced the bondsman business, carrying on the legacy of his family.

He Began Working as a Bounty Hunter as a Teenager

Tim Chapman was said to have been 14 years of age when he made his first-ever civilian arrest as a bounty hunter. Under the tutelage of his mother and grandparents, he continued to make strides in the business before crossing paths with bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman. The duo is not related even though they both share the same last name and Dog refers to Tim as his “blood-brother”.

Duane took Tim under his wings, showing him the ropes of the bounty hunter business, and they enjoyed massive success capturing criminals. Tim would later leave his mother’s business to join Dog in Hawaii where he operated Da Kine Bail Bonds company with long-time girlfriend Beth Smith and son Leland.

Tim Chapman gained fame after he and his crew were arrested in Mexico after capturing fugitive Andrew Luster, heir of Max Factor cosmetics, in 2003. Luster had fled the US in the middle of his trial for drugging and raping a number of women. He was sentenced to 125 years in absentia. The crew’s success in catching the fugitive and their subsequent arrest and battle with the law in Mexico and the United States brought them fame.

Chapman Became a Reality TV Star in 2004

A year after Dog, Tim, and Leland successfully captured Luster in 2003, the A&E network gave them a reality TV show of their own with Dog as the titular character. Tim was classified as a main cast member of the show and he was very active on it from its debut to the end of the fifth season. After that, he started having some issues that required him to take a break. This includes another arrest and having to look after his youngest children.

Tim Chapman later returned to the show and was present for its 8th and final season. It is not clear why the show was canceled but it came to an end in 2012. While Dog and other cast members of Dog the Bounty Hunter went on to appear in other reality shows like Dog and Beth: On the Hunt (2013–2015) and Dog’s Most Wanted, Tim has not made any more appearances on TV.

The Legal Troubles That Prompted Tim Chapman’s Absence From Dog the Bounty Hunter

Tim Chapman was a regular cast member of the show until he was arrested in 2008 after an incident that occurred at the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. While it is not clear what exactly transpired, prosecutors charged the bounty hunter with first-degree “terroristic threatening” and indecent exposure after it was reported that a man was fondling himself in a vehicle at a parking lot in the area.

Chapman was eventually acquitted and released after a short court case. But while he managed to avoid prison time, his marriage did not survive the ordeal as his spouse Davinanatasha Faletoi ended things with him, causing him to take more time off the show to tender to family matters.

As earlier mentioned, this was not Tim’s first run-in with the law. In 2003, he and his co-workers were arrested in Mexico after unlawfully entering the country and “arresting” an American fugitive. The crew was later released on bail but they fled the country following the advice of their attorney and never returned for their court hearing. This meant that they became international bail-jumpers.

Years later in 2006, the trio who jumped bail in Mexico were arrested and jailed by the United States Marshals on behalf of the Mexican government who charged them with “deprivation of liberty” because bounty hunting was illegal in Mexico. The Mexican government subsequently tried to get them extradited to Mexico for sentencing but the bounty hunters fought hard against it, starting a media campaign that got American government officials involved.

Eventually, a criminal court in Mexico in 2007 dismissed all criminal charges against Tim, Duane, and Leland because of the expiry of the statute of limitations.

What is He Doing Now for Work?

Since the final season of Dog the Bounty Hunter in 2012, Tim Chapman has maintained a rather private life away from the media. He has not been publicly associated with Dog since that time and has been described as a retired bounty hunter.

As a single parent who has not been linked to anyone romantically, he is pretty much busy raising his kids who he won custody of after divorcing his wife. While they might all be grown now, it is not clear what he does to make a living.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tim Chapman

1. How Old is Tim Chapman?

Tim Chapman was born on May 13, 1965. This makes him 58 years of age.

2. Does Tim Chapman Have Children?

Tim Chapman has four children; three with his ex-wife Davinanatasha Faletoi and one from a previous relationship. They are Tim Chapman Jr, Thunder Cloud Chapman, Storm Hunter Chapman, and Summer Rain Chapman. 

3. Is Tim Chapman Married?

Following his divorce from Davina in 2009, Chapman has remained single.

4. What is Tim Chapman’s Net Worth?

Tim Chapman is reportedly worth around $3 million, a figure he amassed through his work as a bounty hunter and his appearance on reality TV.

5. Was Tim Chapman’s Father a Bounty Hunter?

Tim Chapman’s father was not a bounty hunter. While what the older Chapman did for a living is not known to the public, we know that it was his mother who introduced him to the business.

6. Is Tim Chapman Related to Dog the Bounty Hunter?

Despite sharing the same last name, Tim Chapman and Dog Chapman are not related. Dog has, however, referred to Tim as his “blood-brother” on numerous occasions.