Georgia inmates sentenced for spoofed police 'missed jury duty' phone scam
Two Georgia inmates were sentenced to 200 and 120 months in federal prison for a scheme in which they posed as local police and demanded 'bond' payments from people told they had missed jury duty.
- First reported
- Reports
- 1
Source: justice.gov · published
What happened
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced on 16 October 2026 that two Georgia inmates who ran a phone scheme from behind bars have been sentenced to federal prison following an FBI investigation. Lance Riddle, aka "C-Port", was sentenced to 200 months in prison, and co-defendant Joey Amour Jackson to 120 months, each followed by three years of supervised release and to run consecutively to any state sentence. Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands presided over the sentencing hearings on October 14, and the court will determine restitution within 90 days.
Jackson and Riddle were found guilty on January 9 of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, after a five-day trial. According to the release, the scheme caused more than $464,920 in documented losses from 119 victims nationwide, though the true number is likely much higher.
How the scam works
According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, inmates at Calhoun State Prison used contraband cell phones and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to call victims from numbers that mirrored those of their local police departments. Posing as officers, sometimes using the names of real local officers, they told victims they had arrest warrants for missing jury duty that could be cleared by paying a bond over the phone, or they would be arrested immediately. Victims were told they were under a "gag" order and could not discuss the warrants until the bond was paid.
Victims were almost always told to buy gift cards and read out the numbers, and sometimes made wire transfers. Afterwards they were told to drive to their local police department to "verify" their signature; some were also told to make humiliating recordings under the pretext of courthouse security and later received explicit and threatening messages. Co-conspirators outside prison managed the group's accounts. The real police departments whose numbers were spoofed were not involved.
Source
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Georgia, "Georgia Inmates Sentenced in Police-Impersonation Jury-Duty Call Scheme" (16 October 2026).
Red flags
- A call claiming you have a warrant for missing jury duty.
- Demands to pay a 'bond' or fine over the phone, especially with gift cards or wire transfers.
- Being told you're under a 'gag order' and can't tell anyone.
- Caller ID showing your local police number; it can be spoofed.
If you were targeted
- 1Hang up and call your local police or court on a number you look up yourself.
- 2Never pay a fine or bond with gift cards; no court or police department accepts them.
- 3If you paid, contact the gift card issuer immediately and keep the cards and receipts.
- 4Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and to your local police.