ZANESVILLE, Ohio — A judge sentenced the final Georgia prison inmate in a fraud scheme that targeted registered sex offenders across the country.
Marquis Conner pleaded guilty to the case that was prosecuted in Ohio and received a four-year sentence.
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Ohio prosecutors said Conner and other inmates operated a scheme from inside their Georgia prisons. It involved the inmates using illegal phones to pose as law enforcement and extort money from sex offenders by threatening them with arrest.
“When crimes are committed in Muskingum County the guilty should expect to be punished even when the victims are unpopular. Justice applies equally to everyone in our county,” Prosecutor Ron Welch said.
Zanesville Police uncovered the fraud operation after it received reports from two men in Ohio who had been targeted by the scheme. A nationwide investigation traced the fraudulent activities back to the Georgia prison system.
The investigation revealed that the group used the sex offender registry to identify their targets. They then coerced the victims into transferring money through accomplices outside the prison, according to prosecutors.
Investigators also discovered music videos published online that also appeared to show the conspirators making rap videos in prison while in possession of drugs and other contraband.
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Emmitt Wells, Johnathan Ford and others were involved in the scheme. Wells was sentenced to three years in Ohio prison to be served after his release from Georgia, while Ford received a similar sentence.
Julissa Casanas, who was involved in processing payments for the crew, received a sentence of community control after pleading guilty to money laundering. Chason Stein died from an illness before his sentencing.
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