Country Music Artist Austin Tanner Violates Bond Conditions to attend CMA Awards, Faces Arrest

If you’re out of jail and on bond, and you’re not supposed to leave the state, don’t post pictures of yourself leaving the state on social media—especially if you’re an aspiring artist.

A country music artist, Austin Tanner, may have jeopardized his future career after it was discovered that he violated the conditions of his bond.

Austin, 38, a native of Orange Beach, Alabama, reportedly incriminated himself with an Instagram post that showed him and his wife, Skyla Tanner, at the Country Music Awards in Nashville earlier this month.

He wrote in the caption:
“First CMA Awards! Last night was nothing short of magical as we walked the red carpet at the CMA Awards. This moment marked a dream come true!”

However, attending the CMA Awards was a direct violation of his bond conditions, which specifically state that he is not allowed to leave the state of Alabama without prior court approval.

Reportedly, Austin was indicted by a grand jury in April on two counts of first-degree insurance fraud, theft of property, and attempted theft.

Just days after the couple attended the CMAs, the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office filed a motion requesting the judge revoke Austin’s bond. The motion was granted the very next day, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Following his indictment in April, Austin was released on a $20,000 bond and was scheduled to appear for a deposition hearing on November 21st, coinciding with the morning of the CMA Awards. However, the hearing was “abruptly rescheduled.” His attorney reportedly told People magazine that the hearing was rescheduled due to the complexity of the case, ongoing investigations, and legal issues. The attorney also claimed he was unaware that Austin had left the state.

During Austin’s bond revocation hearing, the Assistant District Attorney presented screenshots of the social media posts as evidence. The ADA argued that Austin was fully aware of his bond conditions.

It was noted that earlier this year, Austin had submitted a request to travel to Florida for work, which was approved. This demonstrated that he understood the process required for obtaining out-of-state travel approval.

A new hearing has now been scheduled for December 4th.