ALBANY, Ga. — Two Georgia state prison inmates were sentenced Wednesday in federal court for running a phone extortion scheme behind bars that defrauded 119 victims out of more than $464,920.
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Lance Riddle was sentenced to 200 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, while co-defendant Joey Amour Jackson was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The inmates operated out of Calhoun State Prison, using contraband cellphones to impersonate police officers and threaten citizens with arrest over fake missed jury duty warrants.
Victims were forced to pay immediate financial bonds through gift cards or wire transfers to avoid arrest.
Inmates at Calhoun State Prison used contraband cellphones and Voice Over Internet Protocol technology to mirror the phone numbers of local police departments across the country. Law enforcement agencies in California, Colo., Fla., Nev., Ohio and Virginia submitted fraud reports to FBI agents in Columbus, Ga., regarding the operation.
The perpetrators posed as law enforcement officers, informing victims that arrest warrants had been issued against them for missing jury duty. Victims were told the warrants could be cleared by paying a bond over the phone and they were threatened with immediate arrest if they did not comply. The callers placed victims under fake gag orders and instructed them to purchase gift cards or send wire transfers.
The scheme primarily targeted female professionals with prominent online profiles, along with a small number of male victims. In some instances, victims were told that courthouse security required them to enter a restroom at a local Target store, undress and record themselves performing a self-conducted cavity search. Some victims subsequently received sexually explicit messages and violent threats.
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Co-conspirators outside the prison managed the financial accounts. According to court records, the stolen funds were used to pay off personal debts, such as vehicle and home loans and to purchase drugs. Documented losses exceeded $464,920 from 119 victims nationwide, though authorities noted that many cases go unreported due to victim embarrassment or incomplete investigations.
Both Riddle, known as “C-Port,” and Jackson, known as “Apes---,” were convicted on Jan. 9 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering following a five-day trial. Their federal prison sentences will run consecutively to any state sentences they are currently serving. There is no parole in the federal court system.
U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes highlighted the office’s ongoing efforts to prosecute behind-bars fraud.
“Even from prison, the defendants preyed on citizens through threats and deceit, scams that too many Americans are confronted with today,” Keyes said. “Our office and our law enforcement partners remain firmly committed to protecting the public and ensuring that those who commit fraud face full accountability.”
Marlo Graham, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, emphasized the need to block contraband devices in correctional facilities. “
Not even prison cells prevented these criminals from harming dozens of innocent people,” Graham said. “Hopefully, this sentence will bring some level of comfort to the victims and prevent others from falling for similar scams. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in not only addressing these types of inmate-based crimes but also in preventing inmates’ access to contraband cell phones that provide the means to do so much harm to the unsuspecting public.”
Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands will determine the restitution amounts owed by both defendants within 90 days.
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