BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — A metro Atlanta man has been charged in connection with a phone scheme, where he impersonated a deputy to demand money for an ankle monitor, the sheriff’s office said.
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Jarvis Monsha Kinds, 37, of Jonesboro, was charged with theft and criminal impersonation after pleading guilty in Blount County General Sessions Court in Tennessee.
He was ordered to pay $1,450 in restitution, serve 15 days in jail, and cover court costs.
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The investigation began in April when a woman from Maryville, Tenn., reported a suspected scheme.
She says she received a call from someone she believed to be a relative, claiming the need for an ankle monitor costing $1,450. Shortly after, a man identifying himself as a sergeant from the Blount County Sheriff’s Office instructed her to pay electronically, according to officials.
The victim complied, transferring $1,450 electronically, only to realize she had been swindled after contacting the sheriff’s office about the supposed deputy’s rudeness, authorities said.
Investigators traced the money transfer to a bank account linked to Kinds. He was discovered in Jonesboro and arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on Oct. 29.
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“It isn’t often that our deputies are able to solve scams like this due to the complex nature of how the phone calls are generated and the way the money moves from one bank account to another,” Sheriff Berrong said. “Most of the time, the scammer spoofs legitimate phone numbers or uses auto-generated Google phone numbers which are difficult to track, and the calls are often coming from outside of the United States. Our investigator did a great job of following up on even the smallest details of this case which helped to solve it. Unfortunately, these scams are likely going to get worse, but we are committed to following up on each of them to get justice for the victims.”
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