Arrested Boot Camp Instructor Switches Lawyer

The lawyer for a boot camp instructor who was arrested for the alleged kidnapping of a 14-year-old girl told the Pasadena Star-News that he no longer represents the man.

Bill Paparian, the one-time mayor of Pasadena, was the representative for 41-year-old Monrovia resident Kelvin McFarland, who was charged with kidnapping, extortion, child endangerment, unlawful use of a badge and child abuse.

As , McFarland--who goes by the nickname "Sgt. Mac"--had an organization with an Altadena post office box address called Family 1st Growth Camp.  The organization focused on intense exercise as a punishment for misbehavior.

Paparian told the Star-News that the court ruled that he had a conflict in representing McFarland and that a public defender will take over the case.  He declined to speak on the matter further.

McFarland was arrested on May 27 for allegedly handcuffing a 14-year-old girl who was skipping school and then attempting to extort money from her parents after bringing her home.

At his two-day preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors suggested that McFarland had a pattern of being intimidating and using physical force with his students, while the defense painted the whole incident as a misunderstanding and suggested that McFarland had received money from the girl's family as a down payment towards enrolling her in his program.

Following that hearing, McFarland had his bail reduced and was able to gain his release from county jail.

The next hearing in the case will be in October, according to the Star-News.