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The host of Dateline NBC’s To Catch a Predator turned himself into police this week after allegedly writing a series of bad checks to a promotional merchandise vendor, the New York Post reports. Chris Hansen, 59, reportedly had a warrant out for his arrest after he allegedly sent two bad checks for a purchase of “355 ceramic mugs, 288 T-shirts and 650 vinyl decals” from a Stamford, Connecticut, vendor in 2017. The first $12,998 check to vendor owner Peter Psichopaidas reportedly bounced, and another check he made out in April bounced again, authorities said. “I am scrambling to get it done. Please give me till the end of the day,” Hansen wrote to Psichopaidas, according to the court documents. “I sold a boat to cover the rest of this and need to pick up the payment this afternoon.” According to the Post, the promised check never came.
When investigators reached out to Hansen asking him to come to the police station and make a statement, he never showed up. After an arrest warrant was issued, he surrendered to authorities and was charged with issuing a bad check. The show, which featured Hansen luring sex predators online and confronting them, was cancelled in 2008. The newspaper reports Hansen launched a 2015 Kickstarter for an online reboot of the show. If convicted, he could reportedly face a $5,000 fine and up to five years in prison.