Inmates used contraband phones to pose as police in $465K jury duty scam, DOJ says

Written by: A. Smith

Published January 15, 2026 @ 7:25 AM ET

CALHOUN COUNTY, Ga. -Two inmates housed at a South Georgia prison were convicted in federal court Friday for running a nationwide phone scam from behind bars that defrauded more than 100 victims out of nearly half a million dollars, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Joey Amour Jackson, also known as “Apes,” and Lance Riddle, known as “C-Port,” both inmates at Calhoun State Prison, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering following a jury trial in Albany. The four-day trial began Jan. 5 and was presided over by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands.

Prosecutors said Jackson and Riddle used contraband cell phones to pose as law enforcement officers and target victims across the country. According to court records, the men contacted individuals and falsely claimed they had outstanding arrest warrants for missing jury duty. Victims were told they were under a “gag order” and could not discuss the alleged warrants with anyone or risk immediate arrest.

The defendants instructed victims to resolve the matter by paying a bond using gift cards. Victims were told to purchase the cards and read the numbers from the back over the phone. After payment was made, the victims were directed to visit their local police department to “verify” their bond paperwork, authorities said.

Investigators documented losses totaling more than $464,920 from over 100 victims nationwide.

“Not even prison cells prevented these criminals from harming dozens of innocent people,” FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown said in a statement. “Hopefully, this verdict 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 to address inmate-based crimes and prevent inmates’ access to contraband cell phones that enable this type of harm.”

Each defendant faces up to 30 years in prison on the wire fraud conspiracy charge and up to 20 years on the money laundering conspiracy charge. They also face up to three years of supervised release and fines of up to $250,000 per count.

Sentencing dates have not yet been announced.