Scam targeting Georgia food banks linked to prison phone

ATLANTA — State investigators say they've caught a group of scammers who were posing as pastors to target local food banks, and the calls were coming from inside a Georgia state prison.

Channel 2 Action News first exposed the scheme last fall when one food bank fell for a caller's claim that he had truckloads full of turkeys and hams with all the trimmings, for free, if only the food banks would send $350 to pay to transport it.

"To get an offer like this that's too good to be true of ham, turkeys, hens at impossibly low prices, it’s incredibly alluring," said Kyle Waide, of the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

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The scammers called their group "Feed America Miracles," and they even set up a bogus website mimicking the real "Feeding America" website, which is the parent organization of the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Luckily, word spread quickly throughout the food bank community, keeping others from becoming victims.

"It does make me angry," said Secretary of State Brian Kemp, "That somebody would even want to take advantage of an organization that's doing such good work for people that are really in need of a good meal and food in their pantry."

When his investigators traced the cellphone numbers the scammers used, they were located inside the Johnson State Prison in Wrightsville.

They were able to track two prepaid PayPal cards the victim used to make the payment, and followed the money transfers online.

The case ultimately uncovered thousands of dollars in illegal payments using those PayPal accounts, with cards and pin codes provided by prisoners to their contacts on the outside.

"Nothing surprises me anymore in this job," said Kemp, adding that his agency is now partnering with Georgia's Department of Corrections to handle that part of the case. “That's very concerning too, and I know the Department of Corrections has been really focused on [cellphones] that's a big issue.”

Antonio Gibson and Tobias Howard will likely stay in prison a little longer, after records show they admitted controlling those PayPal accounts.

A girlfriend and a cousin on the outside admitted helping misspend the money, and they could also be charged. But they all denied knowing anything about those food bank phone calls.

"Man I would love to meet this gentleman and pray for him if you get my code," said Afemo Omilami, Chief Operating Officer of Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless.

Omilami called the scheme a slap in the face to pastors and churches who work to fight poverty and hunger every day.

Investigators have not yet recovered the actual phones used to make the calls.

But the Department of Corrections is trying to track how the cellphones were smuggled into the prison in the first place. That could lead to additional charges.

Cox Media Group