GPS RESEARCH LIBRARY: Phone scams run from Georgia prisons: prosecutions, added time, how the phones get in
============================================================
Georgia Prisoners' Speak — gps.press
Generated: 2026-11-13 14:36:10 EST

Research Date: 2026-11-11
Topic: Contraband
JSON: https://gps.press/research-data/phone-scams-run-from-georgia-prisons-prosecutions-added-time-how-the-phones-get-in/?format=json

SUMMARY
----------------------------------------
Prosecutions and added sentences for phone scams run from Georgia prisons, and how the phones get in.

LEGAL FACTS (21)
----------------------------------------
- [confirmed] Lance Riddle sentenced to 200 months
  Lance Riddle, aka "C-Port," was sentenced to serve a total of 200 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, to run consecutively to any state sentence.
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor

- [confirmed] Joey Amour Jackson sentenced to 120 months
  Co-defendant Joey Amour Jackson, aka "Apes---," was sentenced to serve a total of 120 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, to run consecutively to any state sentence.
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor

- [reported] Contraband introduction is a felony punishable by up to five years
  Bryson's testimony stated that bringing contraband into a Georgia prison is a felony under Georgia law punishable by up to five years in prison.
  Tags: contraband,legal,policy
  Sources: Testimony of Commissioner Homer Bryson

- [reported] Nine-count indictment against Rico Raymond Cook and two others
  A nine-count indictment charged Rico Raymond Cook, 45, of Georgia, with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and impersonating a federal officer. A federal grand jury in July also indicted Teiana Marie Taylor, 35, and Orenthial Walker, 42, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud with false information concerning jury duty.
  Tags: legal,corruption
  Sources: Georgia Man Indicted for Organizing and Operating Interstate Jury Duty Scam Out of His State Prison Cell

- [confirmed] HB 1230 (Act 388) criminalizes drone delivery of contraband to inmates
  Georgia Act 388 (HB 1230) revises restrictions on operating an unmanned aircraft system near a place of incarceration; it prohibits knowingly and intentionally using a drone to provide prohibited items to inmates or to photograph or record a place of incarceration to commit a crime, allows a warden's prior approval as evidence of lack of criminal intent, and permits drones used in violation to be treated as contraband subject to law-enforcement mitigation measures.
  Date: 2026-07-01
  Tags: contraband,legislation,policy,operations
  Sources: legis.ga.gov: sumdoc2026 edit

- [reported] Nnanwubas sentenced to 8 months consecutive to state sentence
  As to Count 1, Robert Nnanwubas was sentenced to 8 months in custody to run consecutive to his state sentence, 2 years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment, $15,300 in restitution, and the fine was waived; Counts 2, 3, and 4 were dismissed.
  Date: 2024-02-20
  Tags: legal,contraband
  Sources: United States v. Nnanwubas, 2024-02-20 (court record via CourtListener)

- [confirmed] HB 1230 effective July 1, 2026; amends O.C.G.A. 6-1-4 and 42-5-18
  HB 1230, codified as Act 388, amends O.C.G.A. Sections 6-1-4 and 42-5-18 and is effective July 1, 2026.
  Date: 2026-07-01
  Tags: contraband,legislation,policy
  Sources: legis.ga.gov: sumdoc2026 edit

- [reported] Carr joined 22-state coalition urging Congress to allow jamming
  In January 2023, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr joined a 22-state coalition of attorneys general urging Congressional leaders to pass legislation allowing states to implement a cell phone jamming system in correctional facilities.
  Date: 2023-01-01
  Tags: policy,legal,contraband
  Sources: Carr Calls for Federal Action to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails

- [confirmed] Inmates found guilty on January 9
  Joey Amour Jackson and Lance Riddle, both of Calhoun State Prison, were found guilty on January 9 of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, following a five-day trial that began on January 5, before Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands in Albany.
  Tags: legal,corruption
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor, georgia inmates found guilty nationwide jury duty call scheme

- [confirmed] O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18 defines telecommunications device broadly
  O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18 defines 'telecommunications device' as a device, an apparatus associated with a device, or a component of a device that enables, or may be used to enable, communication with a person outside a place of incarceration, including a telephone, cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, transmitting radio, or computer connected or capable of being connected to a computer network.
  Tags: legal,contraband
  Sources: Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-5-18 (GPS's copy of the Code)

- [confirmed] Inmate possession of telecommunications device unlawful without authorization
  O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18(c) makes it unlawful for an inmate to possess a telecommunications device, among other items, without the authorization of the warden or superintendent or his or her designee.
  Tags: legal,contraband
  Sources: Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-5-18 (GPS's copy of the Code)

- [confirmed] Inmate possession of telecommunications device a felony, 1-5 years
  O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18(d)(1) provides that an inmate who commits or attempts to commit a violation of subsection (c) shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned for not less than one nor more than five years, except that possession of a telecommunications device by an inmate held on a misdemeanor offense shall be treated as a misdemeanor.
  Tags: legal,contraband
  Sources: Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-5-18 (GPS's copy of the Code)

- [confirmed] O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18 makes cell phones contraband in GA prisons
  Under O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18, it is unlawful to give an incarcerated GA DOC inmate a cellular telephone and unlawful for an inmate to possess one while incarcerated, making cell phones contraband within the GA DOC prison system.
  Tags: legal,contraband,policy
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/more

- [confirmed] Employee or contractor providing contraband device faces 10-year felony sentence
  O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18(d)(4) provides that an employee or contractor of the department who commits or attempts to commit a violation of subsection (b) (giving or procuring prohibited items, including a telecommunications device, for an inmate) shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of ten years.
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-5-18 (GPS's copy of the Code)

- [confirmed] 2024 amendment to O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18 effective July 1, 2024
  The 2024 amendment to O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18, effective July 1, 2024, substituted the current provisions of paragraph (d)(2) for former provisions which had set a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years but not more than ten years with no portion of the mandatory minimum suspendable, and added paragraph (d)(4) covering department employees or contractors.
  Date: 2024-07-01
  Tags: legal,legislation,contraband
  Sources: Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-5-18 (GPS's copy of the Code)

- [confirmed] Drone use to deliver contraband a felony, 1-10 years
  As amended, O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18 makes it a felony to operate an unmanned aircraft system to violate the contraband-possession provisions of the Code section, punishable by imprisonment of not less than one nor more than ten years, while operating a drone to photograph/record a place of incarceration to commit a crime, or above a place of incarceration, is punishable by imprisonment of not less than five nor more than ten years.
  Tags: legal,contraband
  Sources: Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-5-18 (GPS's copy of the Code)

- [reported] SB 159 advanced 34-20 in Georgia Senate to make phone smuggling a felony
  A Valdosta Daily Times article reports that on Feb. 27, Georgia Senators advanced SB 159 in a 34-20 vote that would make it a felony for any person to enter guard lines at any place of incarceration with a wireless telecommunication device or standalone electronic device that stores audio or video data files.
  Tags: contraband,legislation,policy
  Sources: Valdosta Daily Times: Prison phone law nears passage

- [reported] Tattnall County Grand Jury indictment of Brian Adams May 13, 2026
  The Attorney General's Prosecution Division presented evidence to a Tattnall County Grand Jury, which returned an indictment against Brian Adams on May 13, 2026.
  Date: 2026-05-13
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: Carr Indicts Former Prison Warden in Contraband Smuggling Operation | Office of the Attorney General

- [reported] Federal program 16.844 Combatting Contraband Cell Phone Use in Prisons
  Georgia's Single Audit Report lists ALN/federal program number 16.844, titled 'Combatting Contraband Cell Phone Use in Prisons,' in its schedule of expenditures of federal awards.
  Tags: contraband,budget,policy
  Sources: Georgia Single Audit Report Fiscal Year 2023

- [confirmed] Drones used in violation declared contraband, subject to seizure
  As amended, O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18 declares unmanned aircraft systems operated in violation of the subsection to be contraband, subject to seizure, removal, destruction or disposal by law enforcement at the owner's expense.
  Tags: legal,contraband
  Sources: Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-5-18 (GPS's copy of the Code)

- [confirmed] O.C.G.A. 42-5-18 requires 1-5 years for introducing contraband into prison
  GDC's website states that Georgia law O.C.G.A. 42-5-18 requires a penalty of one to five years in prison for any individual who introduces contraband, including cell phones, into a prison facility and/or provides these items to an offender.
  Tags: contraband,legal,policy
  Sources: GDC Contraband Arrest Reports

STATISTICS (37)
----------------------------------------
- [reported] GDC seized 8,074 cell phones in CY2022 shakedowns
  GDC reported that during calendar year 2022, 8,074 cell phones and 3,241 cell phone chargers were among the contraband confiscated through facility shakedowns.
  Value: 8074.0 cell phones
  Date: 2022-01-01
  Tags: contraband,operations,facilities
  Sources: More than 23,000 Contraband Items Confiscated in Calendar Year 2022 | Georgia Department of Corrections

- [reported] GDC arrests of staff and civilians for contraband since Feb 2015
  GDC Commissioner Homer Bryson testified that since becoming Commissioner in February 2015, GDC had arrested more than one hundred staff members and close to 200 civilians for introducing contraband, with cell phone seizures in the thousands each year.
  Value: 100.0 staff members arrested (vs. 200 civilians arrested (close to))
  Tags: contraband,corruption,staffing,investigations
  Sources: Testimony of Commissioner Homer Bryson

- [reported] GDC seized 3,241 cell phone chargers in CY2022
  GDC reported that during calendar year 2022, 3,241 cell phone chargers were confiscated through facility shakedowns.
  Value: 3241.0 cell phone chargers
  Date: 2022-01-01
  Tags: contraband,operations,facilities
  Sources: More than 23,000 Contraband Items Confiscated in Calendar Year 2022 | Georgia Department of Corrections

- [reported] Over 13,000 unauthorized wireless devices denied service
  Since implementation of PROscan, the system has helped identify and deny service to more than 13,000 unauthorized wireless devices, with hundreds more being identified and addressed each month.
  Value: 13000.0 devices
  Date: 2026-01-01
  Tags: contraband,operations,investigations
  Sources: Correctional News: Georgia DOC Expands Contraband Interdiction Strategy Through Advanced Wireless Security Technology

- [reported] GDC FY2025 security and technology line: $59,603,230
  GDC's FY2025 Annual Fiscal Report lists $59,603,230 for a combined Safety, Security, and Technology Initiatives line covering managed access systems, drone detection, mail screening, digital forensics unit, body worn cameras, tasers, officer tablets, and offender call systems.
  Value: 59603230.0 USD
  Tags: budget,contraband,operations,policy
  Sources: FY25 (gdc.georgia.gov)

- [reported] 7,644 contraband phones confiscated in FY2015
  GDC reported that in fiscal year 2015, a total of 7,644 contraband phones were confiscated in its facilities.
  Value: 7644.0 phones
  Tags: contraband,operations,facilities
  Sources: Testimony of Commissioner Homer Bryson

- [reported] 8,074 contraband cell phones confiscated in Georgia in 2023
  The Georgia AG's office reported that 8,074 contraband cell phones were confiscated in Georgia in 2023.
  Value: 8074.0 cell phones
  Date: 2023-01-01
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: Carr Calls for Federal Action to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails

- [reported] GDC Digital Forensics Unit processed 15,702 cellphones in FY24
  GDC's FY24 Annual Report states that its Digital Forensics Unit processed and analyzed 15,702 cellphones in FY24.
  Value: 15702.0 cellphones
  Tags: contraband,operations,investigations
  Sources: FY24 Annual Report

- [reported] 5,482 contraband cell phones confiscated to date in 2024
  The Georgia AG's office reported that 5,482 contraband cell phones were confiscated to date in 2024.
  Value: 5482.0 cell phones
  Date: 2024-01-01
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: Carr Calls for Federal Action to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails

- [reported] 44 other defendants convicted before trial in GDC officer drug/extortion case
  In the federal prosecution of four former GDC officers for cocaine and methamphetamine distribution and extortion, 44 other defendants had already been convicted prior to trial, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
  Value: 44.0 defendants
  Tags: corruption,drugs,investigations,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/jury

- [confirmed] Documented losses exceed $464,920
  The scheme resulted in more than $464,920 in documented losses.
  Value: 464920.0 USD
  Tags: corruption,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor

- [reported] DFU identified 36 compromised staff in FY24
  GDC's FY24 Annual Report states that the Digital Forensics Unit identified 36 compromised staff members, leading to CIU containing 1,398 likely actionable intelligence items.
  Value: 36.0 staff
  Tags: corruption,staffing,investigations,contraband
  Sources: FY24 Annual Report

- [reported] 1,398 actionable intelligence items from DFU leads in FY24
  GDC's FY24 Annual Report states that Digital Forensics Unit leads resulted in the CIU containing 1,398 likely actionable intelligence items.
  Value: 1398.0 intelligence items
  Tags: investigations,contraband,operations
  Sources: FY24 Annual Report

- [reported] Weekly traffic entering GDC facilities exceeds 120,000
  Bryson's testimony said traffic entering GDC facilities through front and rear gates (staff, visitors, inmate visitors and inmates) exceeds 120,000 weekly.
  Value: 120000.0 people per week
  Tags: operations,facilities,contraband
  Sources: Testimony of Commissioner Homer Bryson

- [reported] FY24 drone incidents: 434; drones seized: 166
  GDC's FY24 Annual Report reports Drone Detection FY24 totals of 434 total drone incidents and 166 drones seized.
  Value: 434.0 drone incidents (vs. 166 drones seized)
  Tags: contraband,operations,facilities
  Sources: FY24 Annual Report

- [reported] 12 sites had drone detection after FY24 expansion
  GDC's FY24 Annual Report states that in FY24, seven facilities were equipped with drone detection devices, bringing the total number of sites with detection capabilities to 12.
  Value: 12.0 sites (vs. 7 facilities equipped in FY24)
  Tags: contraband,operations,facilities
  Sources: FY24 Annual Report

- [reported] FY2018 controlled shakedowns confiscated 1,271 cell phones
  GDC's FY2018 Annual Report states that controlled shakedowns resulted in 1,271 cell phones confiscated, along with 4,323 weapons, 4,270.33 grams of drugs, 8,104 grams of tobacco, and 114 Green Dot cards.
  Value: 1271.0 cell phones
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2018

- [reported] 23,500+ cell phones seized in Georgia prisons 2014-2015
  From 2014 to 2015, Georgia Department of Corrections officials seized more than 23,500 cellular telephones from inside Georgia state prisons, according to a DOJ press release.
  Value: 23500.0 cellular telephones
  Tags: contraband,operations,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/more

- [reported] DOJ charged 75 people for prison-initiated crimes since Sept 2015
  DOJ said that since September 2015, it had charged 75 people with criminal conduct initiated from within Georgia state prisons using contraband cell phones to run fraud schemes.
  Value: 75.0 people charged
  Tags: corruption,contraband,investigations,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/more

- [reported] FY2020 Canine Unit contraband seizures
  GDC's FY2020 Annual Report states that contraband seizures from GDC's Canine Unit included 63 lbs of marijuana, 14 lbs of methamphetamine, 0.21 lbs of cocaine, 979 lbs of tobacco, 2,356 cell phones, and 769 weapons at GDC facilities and detail sites, and that the Canine Unit's work resulted in 386 arrests.
  Value: 2356.0 cell phones
  Tags: contraband,drugs,operations
  Sources: GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2020

- [reported] GDC Digital Forensics Unit processed 10,083 cellphones in FY22
  GDC's FY2022 Annual Report states that during FY22 the Digital Forensics Unit processed and analyzed 10,083 cellphones.
  Value: 10083.0 cellphones
  Tags: contraband,operations,investigations
  Sources: 2O22 (gdc.georgia.gov)

- [reported] Wilkins traced to $74,000 from at least 25 military victims
  Investigators traced at least $74,000 in extorted funds received by Wendell Wilkins from at least 25 military victims between February 2016 and January 2018.
  Value: 74000.0 dollars (vs. 25 military victims)
  Tags: legal,corruption
  Sources: South Carolina inmate sentenced federal prison role military sextortion scheme

- [reported] GDC Digital Forensics Unit processed 15,592 cellphones in FY23
  GDC's FY2023 Annual Report states that the Digital Forensics Unit's processing and analysis included 15,592 cellphones.
  Value: 15592.0 cellphones
  Tags: contraband,operations,investigations
  Sources: FY23 Annual Report

- [reported] SCDC sextortion scheme: 300+ military victims, $350,000+ loss, suicides
  In total, more than 300 military members throughout the United States were victims of the sextortion scheme operated out of SCDC, and the amount of loss exceeded $350,000; several military members committed suicide after falling victim to the extortion scheme.
  Value: 300.0 military victims (vs. 350000 dollars loss)
  Tags: legal,corruption,mental_health
  Sources: South Carolina inmate sentenced federal prison role military sextortion scheme

- [reported] GDC seized over 15,500 cell phones and 150 drones in 2024
  Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr's office states that in 2024 the Georgia Department of Corrections seized and processed over 15,500 cell phones and more than 150 drones.
  Value: 15500.0 cell phones
  Date: 2024-01-01
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: Carr Leads 23-State Coalition in Support of FCC’s Proposal to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails | Office of the Attorney General

- [reported] 8,132 cell phones confiscated in FY2014
  GDC's FY2014 Annual Report states that 8,132 cell phones were confiscated.
  Value: 8132.0 cell phones
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2014

- [reported] GDC seized more than 150 drones in 2024
  In 2024, the Georgia Department of Corrections seized and processed more than 150 drones.
  Value: 150.0 drones
  Date: 2024-01-01
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: Carr Leads 23-State Coalition in Support of FCC’s Proposal to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails | Office of the Attorney General

- [reported] GDC seized over 15,500 cell phones and 150 drones in prior year
  The Georgia AG's office reported that the Georgia Department of Corrections seized and processed over 15,500 cell phones and more than 150 drones in the prior year.
  Value: 15500.0 cell phones (vs. 150 drones)
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: Carr Backs New FCC Proposal Allowing for Cell Phone Jamming Technology in State Prisons and Jails

- [confirmed] FY2016 contraband seizures: 8,222 cell phones
  GDC's Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report states that FY 2016 contraband seizures/incidents totals were 8,222 cell phones found.
  Value: 8222.0 cell phones
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: gdc.georgia.gov: gdc annual fiscal report 2016

- [confirmed] FY2016 contraband seizures: 1,191 drug seizures
  GDC's Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report states that FY 2016 contraband seizures/incidents totals were 1,191 drug seizures.
  Value: 1191.0 drug seizures
  Tags: contraband,drugs
  Sources: gdc.georgia.gov: gdc annual fiscal report 2016

- [confirmed] FY2016 contraband seizures: 6,799 weapons
  GDC's Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report states that FY 2016 contraband seizures/incidents totals were 6,799 weapons confiscated.
  Value: 6799.0 weapons
  Tags: contraband,violence
  Sources: gdc.georgia.gov: gdc annual fiscal report 2016

- [reported] Guards earned $500-$1,000 per smuggled cell phone
  Corrupt Georgia prison guards in Operation Ghost Guard typically earned $500 to $1,000 for smuggling a single cell phone to a prisoner.
  Value: 500.0 dollars (vs. 1000 dollars per phone)
  Tags: corruption,contraband
  Sources: Operation Ghost Guard — FBI

- [confirmed] FY2016 contraband throw-overs: 110 incidents
  GDC's Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report states that FY 2016 contraband seizures/incidents totals were 110 incidents of contraband Throw-Overs.
  Value: 110.0 incidents
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: gdc.georgia.gov: gdc annual fiscal report 2016

- [reported] More than 23,500 contraband phones seized 2014-2015
  Between 2014 and 2015, more than 23,500 contraband phones were seized throughout Georgia prisons, which house 50,000 inmates.
  Value: 23500.0 phones
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: Operation Ghost Guard — FBI

- [confirmed] FY2016 contraband arrests: 226 individuals
  GDC's Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report states that FY 2016 contraband seizures/incidents totals were 226 individuals arrested for contraband.
  Value: 226.0 individuals
  Tags: contraband,legal
  Sources: gdc.georgia.gov: gdc annual fiscal report 2016

- [reported] 120 inmates charged, 362 civilians arrested for contraband deliveries through June 2025
  At a December legislative hearing at the Atlanta Capitol, Matthew Wolfe from the Georgia Department of Corrections said that for the year through June 2025 there were 120 inmates charged and 362 civilians arrested in connection with contraband deliveries, and that civilian involvement remains the most common threat vector, with throwovers and drone drops continuing to be the primary method used to infiltrate GDC's institutions.
  Value: 120.0 inmates charged (vs. 362 civilians arrested)
  Tags: contraband,investigations,operations
  Sources: Feds bust ring that allegedly flew drugs, weapons into prisons

- [reported] Approximately 130 subjects indicted in Operation Ghost Guard
  FBI Special Agent Dan Odom said the Operation Ghost Guard investigation identified and indicted approximately 130 subjects.
  Value: 130.0 subjects
  Tags: corruption,investigations,legal
  Sources: Operation Ghost Guard — FBI

CASE DETAILS (85)
----------------------------------------
- [reported] Nicholas Rotunda Allen pleads guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for grand jury scam
  Nicholas Rotunda Allen, age 39, an inmate at Jimmy Autry State Prison in Pelham, Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, for his role in a grand jury fraud scam victimizing a resident of the Eastern District of Louisiana.
  Date: 2017-01-01
  Tags: corruption,investigations,legal,contraband
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-edla/pr/geor, georgia inmate pleads guilty conspiracy commit wire fraud his role grand jury scam

- [reported] Seventeen charged in prison-run drug trafficking ring
  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia stated that three current Georgia Department of Corrections inmates and fourteen others were charged federally for their roles in a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy operating from within prison walls, using contraband cellular telephones inside of prison.
  Tags: drugs,contraband,investigations,corruption
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/seve

- [reported] Inmates defeated Wireless Containment System by dialing 911, shut down 13-county 911 center
  A December 23, 2025 letter from state attorneys general to the FCC states that inmates at a Georgia state prison learned they could defeat the prison's Wireless Containment System by dialing 911, and using contraband cell phones were able to overwhelm and shut down the entire 911 center, part of the largest 911 system in Georgia, encompassing 13 counties.
  Date: 2025-12-23
  Tags: contraband,operations,investigations,facilities
  Sources: December 23, 2025

- [reported] Arthur Cofield led $11 million fraud scheme from custody using contraband phones
  Arthur Cofield, a Georgia man, was convicted of leading an $11 million fraud scheme while in custody through contraband phones, and later escaped from a federal minimum-security prison camp next to FCI Jessup in Georgia.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,investigations,facilities
  Sources: Federal inmate convicted in $11 million fraud scheme on the run after escaping Georgia prison - CBS Atlanta

- [reported] Three inmates at Hancock, Valdosta, Coastal Transition Center led meth network via contraband phones
  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia stated that while inmates at Hancock State Prison, Valdosta State Prison and Coastal Transition Center, three defendants allegedly obtained contraband cellular telephones and used them to lead and manage an extensive drug trafficking network trafficking in crystal methamphetamine.
  Tags: drugs,contraband,facilities,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/seve

- [reported] Schwab wired $11 million to Idaho dealer for 6,106 gold coins in Cofield scheme
  As part of Arthur Cofield's fraud scheme, Charles Schwab wired $11 million from the victim's funds to an Idaho precious metal dealer to buy 6,106 American Gold Eagle coins.
  Tags: contraband,investigations
  Sources: Federal inmate convicted in $11 million fraud scheme on the run after escaping Georgia prison - CBS Atlanta

- [confirmed] Jury-duty scam extorted at least 119 citizens
  Two Georgia inmates orchestrated a phone scheme from behind bars, extorting at least 119 citizens by demanding payment for supposed missed jury-duty fines.
  Tags: corruption,contraband,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor

- [reported] Jay Byron Wright pleads guilty in South Carolina phone scam
  Jay Byron Wright, 42, of Calhoun State Prison in Morgan, Georgia, pleaded guilty in the District of South Carolina to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, after he and other prisoners called Oregon residents using a smuggled cell phone, falsely claiming they were in contempt of court for missing jury duty and demanding payment via Green Dot money cards.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,legal
  Sources: Georgia Prisoner Pleads Guilty to Phone Scam

- [confirmed] FBI investigation and prosecution team
  The case was investigated by the FBI Atlanta's Columbus Resident Agency and prosecuted by Criminal Chief Leah McEwen.
  Tags: investigations,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor

- [reported] Rico Raymond Cook indicted for organizing interstate jury-duty scam from prison
  A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Alabama indicted Rico Raymond Cook, of Georgia, for organizing and operating an interstate jury-duty scam out of his state prison cell in Georgia. Georgia state prison system records show Cook was serving a sentence for armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, false imprisonment, aggravated assault and first-degree burglary.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,legal
  Sources: Georgia Man Indicted for Organizing and Operating Interstate Jury Duty Scam Out of His State Prison Cell

- [reported] Four former GDC officers convicted on 15 drug counts and 7 extortion counts
  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia stated that Jeremy Fluellen, Chelsey Mayweather, Tramaine Tucker, and Christopher Williams, four former Georgia Department of Corrections officers, were convicted by a federal jury after a week-long trial on fifteen counts of cocaine and methamphetamine distribution and seven counts of extortion under color of official right; prior to trial, 44 other defendants had already been convicted.
  Tags: corruption,drugs,investigations,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/jury

- [reported] Gwinnett jewelry heists ordered from Georgia State Prison cell
  Bryson's testimony described two Gwinnett jewelry store heists netting more than $1 million in stolen goods, with one customer bashed with a hammer, ordered by an inmate running a crew of four armed robbers from his cell at Georgia State Prison in Reidsville.
  Date: 2015-01-01
  Tags: violence,contraband,gangs,facilities
  Sources: Testimony of Commissioner Homer Bryson

- [confirmed] FBI received reports from multiple states
  FBI agents in Columbus, Georgia received information from law enforcement agencies across the U.S. about wire fraud by Georgia inmates, including local law enforcement in Colorado, Florida, Virginia, Nevada, California, and Ohio, and agents discovered that inmates at Calhoun State Prison, including Jackson and Riddle, were using contraband phones.
  Tags: investigations,contraband,corruption
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor

- [reported] Jury-duty scam investigation indictments: 50+ former officers, 50+ inmates/co-conspirators
  Bryson's testimony stated that the GDC/FBI/U.S. Attorney's Office jury-duty-scam investigation led to federal indictments against more than 50 former GDC officers and more than 50 inmates and non-incarcerated co-conspirators.
  Tags: corruption,investigations,contraband,legal
  Sources: Testimony of Commissioner Homer Bryson

- [reported] Cook procured cell phone inside Georgia state prison
  Rico Raymond Cook, 45, of Georgia, procured a cell phone for use inside the Georgia state prison where he was serving time for armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, false imprisonment, aggravated assault and first-degree burglary.
  Tags: contraband,corruption
  Sources: Georgia Man Indicted for Organizing and Operating Interstate Jury Duty Scam Out of His State Prison Cell

- [reported] Hancock State Prison inmate accused of helping plan murder
  Bryson's testimony said a Hancock State Prison inmate, a purported gang member, is accused of helping plan the murder of a young man gunned down in November.
  Date: 2015-01-01
  Tags: violence,gangs,facilities
  Sources: Testimony of Commissioner Homer Bryson

- [confirmed] Contraband cell phones used at Calhoun State Prison
  Agents discovered that inmates at Calhoun State Prison, including Jackson and Riddle, were using contraband cell phones to run the jury-duty fraud scheme.
  Tags: contraband,corruption
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor

- [reported] Calhoun inmates spoofed police numbers in jury-duty scam
  As inmates at Calhoun State Prison, Riddle and Jackson used contraband cellphones and internet-based calling to spoof local police phone numbers and pose as law enforcement officers.
  Tags: contraband,investigations,facilities
  Sources: How jury-duty phone scam operated from inside Ga. prison

- [confirmed] Stolen proceeds used for debts and drugs
  The stolen proceeds from the jury-duty scheme were used by the defendants to pay off personal debts such as house and vehicle loans, as well as to purchase drugs.
  Tags: corruption,drugs
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor

- [reported] Inmate Damon Thomas Young sentenced to 7 years for $2.8M fraud run from prison
  Damon Thomas Young, 39, of Ranger, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $30,000 restitution, with five years of the federal sentence to run consecutively to his state sentence.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,legal,investigations
  Sources: USAO NDGA: Georgia inmate sentenced for running multi-million-dollar fraud scheme from state prison

- [reported] Nicholas Rotunda Allen sentenced for grand jury scam
  Nicholas Rotunda Allen, age 39, an inmate at Jimmy Autry State Prison in Pelham, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to be served consecutively to his state sentence in an unrelated matter, plus restitution of $5,500 to the victim and three years of supervised release, for his role in a grand jury scam targeting a Louisiana resident.
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: Georgia inmate sentenced 12 months prison after pleading guilty his role grand jury

- [reported] Young fraudulently ordered over $2.8 million in equipment; acquired $500,000+
  Damon Thomas Young fraudulently ordered equipment worth over $2.8 million from six different equipment dealers; most dealers caught the fraud before shipment, but Young successfully acquired four pieces of equipment worth over $500,000.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,legal
  Sources: USAO NDGA: Georgia inmate sentenced for running multi-million-dollar fraud scheme from state prison

- [reported] Anthony Sanders and Marlita Andrews indicted for jury-duty wire fraud
  A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida indicted Anthony Sanders, a/k/a 'Slanga,' of McRae-Helena, GA, described as an inmate in a Georgia prison, and his outside associate Marlita Andrews, of Macon, GA, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for defrauding a Sarasota victim of over $12,000 in a jury-duty/sheriff impersonation scam.
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: Georgia inmate and associate indicted conspiracy commit wire fraud jury duty scam

- [reported] Young used contraband cell phone in 2019 to pose as AbbVie purchasing officer
  While serving his state prison sentence in 2019, Damon Thomas Young used a contraband cell phone to defraud or attempt to defraud multiple heavy equipment dealers out of equipment worth millions of dollars, posing as Morgan Sylvia, a purchasing officer for AbbVie, a real biopharmaceutical company.
  Date: 2019-01-01
  Tags: contraband,corruption,legal
  Sources: USAO NDGA: Georgia inmate sentenced for running multi-million-dollar fraud scheme from state prison

- [reported] Richard W. Long sentenced for interstate extortion conspiracy
  Richard W. Long, 50, of Ellenwood, Georgia, was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for conspiring and traveling interstate to commit extortion; conspirators who had access to cell phones while incarcerated in a Georgia prison called victims and falsely represented themselves as sheriff's deputies who had arrest warrants for the victims.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-wdpa/pr/geor

- [reported] Robert Nnanwubas restitution $15,300 for Calhoun State Prison phone fraud
  In the plea agreement, Robert 'Bo' Nnanwubas agreed to pay restitution to the victims of $15,300 in connection with the telephone fraud scheme run from Calhoun State Prison.
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: Georgia state prison inmate pleads guilty impersonating federal agent part national

- [confirmed] Victims threatened with arrest for missed jury duty
  Victims were told they had warrants for their arrest due to missing jury duty, and the defendants, posing as police officers, told victims the warrants would be cleared through payment of a bond over the phone or they would immediately be arrested.
  Tags: corruption,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor, georgia inmates found guilty nationwide jury duty call scheme

- [reported] 51 defendants charged in Autry State Prison fraud scheme
  A federal indictment charged 15 current or former Autry correctional officers, 19 current or former GDOC inmates, and 17 outside individuals (51 total) with conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, or bribery in a scheme operated from inside Autry State Prison using contraband cell phones.
  Date: 2015-01-01
  Tags: corruption,contraband,investigations,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/more

- [reported] Operation Night Drop indictments charge 23 defendants
  Two newly unsealed federal indictments charge 23 defendants in widespread conspiracies that used drones to deliver methamphetamine, marijuana, and cell phones to Georgia state prisons.
  Tags: contraband,drugs,investigations
  Sources: Pair of indictments charge conspiracies to use drones to deliver illegal drugs, contraband cell phones to Georgia prisons, U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of Georgia, August 21, 2024

- [reported] 54 individuals indicted in GDC/FBI joint investigation at Autry State Prison
  54 individuals were indicted in a GDC/FBI joint investigation, including current GDC employees and former GDC officers, described by GDC as exposing a criminal network inside Autry State Prison.
  Tags: corruption,investigations,contraband,facilities
  Sources: GDC joint investigation with the FBI results in Federal Indictments, Georgia Department of Corrections, January 21, 2016

- [reported] Andre Deaveon Reese sentenced to 33 months and $9,797.95 restitution
  Andre Deaveon Reese, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by Judge Donald E. Walter to 33 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $9,797.95.
  Tags: contraband,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-wdla/pr/form

- [reported] Dexter Lawrence sentenced 70 months for military sextortion money laundering
  Dexter Lawrence, 37, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in a scheme to extort and defraud military members operated out of the South Carolina Department of Correction.
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: South Carolina inmate sentenced federal prison role military sextortion scheme 1

- [confirmed] Female victims coerced into self-conducted cavity searches
  Many female victims were told that because of supposed heightened courthouse security they needed to go to a local Target store, enter a restroom, undress and record themselves performing a self-conducted cavity search before verifying their signature, and some victims subsequently received lewd and sexually explicit messages including photos of male genitalia and violent threats.
  Tags: corruption,violence
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor, georgia inmates found guilty nationwide jury duty call scheme

- [reported] Twelve charged in Phillips and Valdosta State Prisons contraband cell phone scheme
  Two former Georgia Department of Corrections employees, four current Georgia state inmates, three recently paroled inmates, and three others were charged federally with drug trafficking, extortion, wire fraud conspiracies, wire fraud, and identity theft offenses in a scheme at Phillips and Valdosta State Prisons involving contraband cell phones.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,drugs,legal
  Sources: Twelve Charged in Scheme That Allowed Georgia Inmates to Sell Drugs and Defraud Consumers Inside Prison

- [reported] Former officer Curtis Drakes sentenced to 2 years for smuggling cell phones
  Former Georgia correctional officer Curtis Drakes, while employed at the Mize Street Detention Facility in Pelham, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 2 years in federal prison for conspiracy to provide contraband in prison after admitting he accepted money from inmates in exchange for cell phones between about April 15, 2013 and May 16, 2013.
  Date: 2013-01-01
  Tags: corruption,contraband,legal,investigations
  Sources: USAO MDGA: Former correctional officer sentenced for smuggling cell phones

- [reported] Reese jury-duty fraud scheme from Autry State Prison 2015-2020
  While serving time in Autry State Prison in Georgia in 2015, continuing through July 2020, Andre Deaveon Reese participated in a jury-duty fraud scheme, creating fictitious voicemail greetings identifying himself and other inmates as members of legitimate law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Marshal Service.
  Tags: contraband,legal,corruption
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-wdla/pr/form

- [reported] Dexter Lawrence sentence to follow 22-year state sentence
  Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Dexter Lawrence to 70 months in federal prison followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision, to be served after Lawrence completes his 22-year state prison sentence.
  Tags: legal
  Sources: South Carolina inmate sentenced federal prison role military sextortion scheme 1

- [confirmed] Inmates impersonated real officers and used outside co-conspirators
  The inmates impersonated both fictitious individuals and real law enforcement officers from the victims' local jurisdictions, and worked with co-conspirators outside prison who managed the financial accounts for the group; stolen proceeds were used to pay off personal debts such as house and vehicle loans, as well as to purchase drugs.
  Tags: corruption,drugs
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor, georgia inmates found guilty nationwide jury duty call scheme

- [reported] Autry inmates ran jury-duty scam posing as law enforcement
  Inmates at Autry State Prison used contraband cell phones to call victims nationwide, falsely claiming to be law enforcement and that victims had warrants for failing to appear for jury duty, then directing victims to pay fines via pre-paid cash cards.
  Date: 2015-01-01
  Tags: contraband,corruption,legal,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/more

- [reported] Mims Morris charged with wire fraud and identity theft
  Mims Morris, 24, an inmate at Phillips State Prison prior to his arrest, was charged with one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana; two counts of conspiring to commit wire fraud; two counts of committing wire fraud; and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,drugs,legal
  Sources: Twelve Charged in Scheme That Allowed Georgia Inmates to Sell Drugs and Defraud Consumers Inside Prison

- [reported] Former officer Christopher Cox sentenced to 15 months for smuggling contraband
  Former Georgia correctional officer Christopher Cox, 35, of Pelham, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Louis Sands to serve 15 months in federal prison for conspiracy to smuggle contraband into a detention facility in exchange for bribes.
  Tags: corruption,contraband,legal,investigations
  Sources: USAO MDGA: Former correctional officer sentenced for smuggling contraband

- [reported] Two elderly Louisiana victims of Reese scheme in August 2016
  In August of 2016, two individuals, ages 75 and 78, living in the Western District of Louisiana, became victims of Andre Deaveon Reese's jury-duty scheme.
  Date: 2016-08-01
  Tags: contraband,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-wdla/pr/form

- [reported] Dexter Lawrence smuggled smartphones, posed as woman to solicit nudes
  Dexter Lawrence smuggled smartphones into SCDC while serving a 22-year sentence for Armed Robbery and Carjacking, and posed as a young woman on internet dating websites to target young men in the military and solicit nude photographs.
  Tags: contraband,corruption
  Sources: South Carolina inmate sentenced federal prison role military sextortion scheme 1

- [reported] Cox accepted money for cell phones, liquor, marijuana, and food
  Christopher Cox admitted that while employed as a Correctional Officer at the Mize Street Detention Facility in Pelham, Georgia, from about April 15, 2013 to May 16, 2013, he accepted money from inmates in exchange for cell phones, liquor, marijuana and food.
  Date: 2013-01-01
  Tags: corruption,contraband,drugs,legal
  Sources: USAO MDGA: Former correctional officer sentenced for smuggling contraband

- [reported] Former Smith State Prison Warden Brian Adams indicted
  Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced the indictment of former Smith State Prison Warden Brian Adams, 52, of Waycross, for his alleged involvement in a contraband smuggling operation tied to inmate Nathan Weekes and a prison gang known as YSL Squad.
  Date: 2026-05-13
  Tags: contraband,corruption,gangs,legal
  Sources: Carr Indicts Former Prison Warden in Contraband Smuggling Operation | Office of the Attorney General

- [reported] Nicholas Grindle sentenced 87 months for smuggling meth and phones
  Former Hays State Prison correctional officer Nicholas Grindle, 32, of Summerville, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray, II, to 87 months of confinement and three years of supervised release for smuggling methamphetamine and other contraband.
  Date: 2024-01-01
  Tags: corruption,contraband,drugs,staffing,legal
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/pris

- [reported] Orenthial Walker indicted in $200,000 jury-duty scam
  A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia indicted Orenthial Walker, a Decatur, Georgia resident, on charges related to a jury-duty scam that extorted $200,000 from victims, which the release states was coordinated by prison inmates using contraband cell phones.
  Date: 2018-01-01
  Tags: contraband,legal,corruption,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-sdga/pr/indi

- [reported] Anekra Artina Williams charged with methamphetamine distribution and extortion
  Anekra Artina Williams, 20, of Nashville, Georgia, a GDOC guard at Valdosta State Prison, was charged with conspiring to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine, distributing methamphetamine, and conspiring to interfere with commerce by extortion.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,drugs,legal
  Sources: Twelve Charged in Scheme That Allowed Georgia Inmates to Sell Drugs and Defraud Consumers Inside Prison

- [reported] DroneTracker alarm at Autry State Prison led to recovery of marijuana packages
  GDC reported that on December 4 at 11:53 p.m., the DroneTracker alarm, a newly piloted system, at Autry State Prison sounded; although staff did not sight a drone, officers recovered two packages containing a large amount of marijuana left behind by the drone.
  Tags: contraband,drugs,operations,facilities
  Sources: Alarm Alerts Staff to Drug-Carrying Drone at Autry State Prison

- [reported] Adams alleged to have buried shanks and cell phones in backyard
  Adams is alleged to have knowingly concealed prison shanks and contraband cell phones by having them buried in his backyard in an attempt to obstruct an investigation into his activity and YSL Squad at Smith State Prison.
  Date: 2026-01-01
  Tags: contraband,corruption,gangs,legal
  Sources: Carr Indicts Former Prison Warden in Contraband Smuggling Operation | Office of the Attorney General

- [reported] Grindle smuggled meth and phones for over a month in late 2023-early 2024
  Grindle smuggled methamphetamine and other contraband to inmates at Hays State Prison for over a month in late 2023 and early 2024, and was caught after fellow officers searched his locker and found methamphetamine and cell phones.
  Tags: corruption,contraband,drugs,staffing
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/pris

- [reported] Walker arrested July 2018 by FBI for prior Alabama jury-duty scam
  Walker was arrested in Georgia in July 2018 by the FBI for his role in a similar jury duty scam operated out of the Northern District of Alabama; in both cases victims received calls from co-conspirators posing as U.S. Marshals Service members.
  Date: 2018-07-01
  Tags: legal,contraband,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-sdga/pr/indi

- [reported] Wendell Wilkins sentenced 66 months for SCDC military sextortion money laundering
  Wendell Wilkins, 32, of Spartanburg, was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to money laundering for his role in a scheme to extort and defraud military members operated out of the South Carolina Department of Corrections; he posed as young women on dating sites and sent nude photos to solicit nudes back, then extorted payment.
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: South Carolina inmate sentenced federal prison role military sextortion scheme

- [reported] Reginald Perkins sentenced to 12 years 7 months for laundering $1M
  Autry State Prison inmate Reginald Perkins was sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison for laundering $1 million in fraud proceeds from a jury-duty telemarketing scam conducted by inmates at Georgia Department of Corrections prisons.
  Date: 2016-01-01
  Tags: contraband,legal,corruption
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/inma

- [reported] Perkins, 36, of Atlanta, sentenced with 3 years supervised release
  Reginald Perkins, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 years, seven months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, after being convicted on March 22, 2016, having pleaded guilty.
  Date: 2016-01-01
  Tags: legal,contraband
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/inma

- [reported] More than 45 GDC officers charged in seven federal indictments
  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia stated that more than 45 current and former Georgia Department of Corrections officers and contract correctional officers were charged in seven separate federal indictments with smuggling contraband into prisons and accepting bribe payments in exchange for providing protection for drug deals that were part of a federal undercover operation.
  Tags: corruption,contraband,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/furt

- [reported] Jacob Garner sentenced to 24 months for pandemic unemployment fraud from jail
  Jacob Garner, 34, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell on Feb. 9 after pleading guilty to theft of United States government funds, with his federal sentence to run consecutively to the parole revocation sentence he was then serving.
  Tags: corruption,legal,investigations
  Sources: USAO MDGA: Georgia inmate sentenced for orchestrating pandemic unemployment fraud scheme from jail

- [reported] Taylor and Walker arrested on N.D. Ala. jury-duty conspiracy indictment
  The FBI arrested Teiana Marie Taylor and Orenthial Walker, both of Decatur, Georgia, on a one-count indictment in the Northern District of Alabama charging them with conspiring to commit wire fraud using false information concerning jury duty.
  Tags: legal,contraband,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndal/pr/geor, georgia pair arrested role interstate jury duty scam

- [reported] Phase three of GDC-FBI operation exposed staff corruption at nine prisons
  GDC's press release states that phase three of the two-year joint operation between GDC and the FBI exposed staff corruption involving smuggling contraband of liquor, tobacco, and cell phones into correctional facilities, with the latest round of arrests involving employees from eight GDC state prisons and one GEO Group prison, including Autry, Baldwin, Dodge, Dooly, Georgia Diagnostic and Classification, and Hancock.
  Tags: corruption,contraband,investigations,facilities
  Sources: Two year GDC & FBI investigation results in more than 45 Federal Indictments, Georgia Department of Corrections, February 11, 2016

- [reported] Garner used jail communications to orchestrate fraudulent UI/PUA claims
  Garner was an inmate at the Baldwin County Jail in 2020 when a Baldwin County detective located messages between Garner and his then-girlfriend and co-defendant Lindsey Garner (née Quinton), 32, of Milledgeville, discussing filing fraudulent unemployment insurance/pandemic unemployment assistance claims to the Georgia Department of Labor.
  Date: 2020-01-01
  Tags: corruption,legal,investigations
  Sources: USAO MDGA: Georgia inmate sentenced for orchestrating pandemic unemployment fraud scheme from jail

- [reported] 15 defendants charged in SCDC prison-phone fraud/extortion/money laundering scheme
  U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced that 15 individuals from South Carolina and North Carolina were charged in federal court with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Extortion, and Money Laundering.
  Tags: legal,corruption,contraband
  Sources: 5 inmates among 15 defendants indicted wire fraud extortion and money laundering scheme

- [reported] Nicholas Rotunda Allen pleads guilty in grand jury scam
  Nicholas Rotunda Allen, age 39, an inmate at Jimmy Autry State Prison in Pelham, Georgia, pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Louisiana to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a grand jury fraud scam victimizing a Louisiana resident.
  Tags: legal,contraband,corruption
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-edla/pr/geor, georgia inmate pleads guilty conspiracy commit wire fraud his role grand jury scam

- [reported] Three Riverbend correctional officers convicted of trading with inmates
  Natashia Seals, Tierra Harrison and Shanell Brown, who all worked at Riverbend Correctional Facility in Milledgeville, were found guilty of trading with inmates, making a false statement and violation of oath by a public officer.
  Tags: corruption,contraband,legal
  Sources: Georgia prison guards convicted in contraband trial (Riverbend), Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 11, 2024

- [reported] Five SCDC inmates smuggled smartphones, ran military fraud scheme 2015-2017
  The indictment alleges that from at least 2015 through 2017, five named South Carolina Department of Corrections inmates smuggled smartphones into prison and, using Internet access on the smartphones, orchestrated a scheme to defraud members of the United States Military.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,legal
  Sources: 5 inmates among 15 defendants indicted wire fraud extortion and money laundering scheme

- [reported] Baldwin County jury convicts three officers in drug and cellphone smuggling scheme
  A Baldwin County jury found three former correctional officers at Riverbend Correctional Facility in Milledgeville guilty of trading with inmates in a trial that exposed a scheme to smuggle drugs and cellphones into the privately operated state prison.
  Tags: corruption,contraband,drugs,legal
  Sources: Georgia prison guards convicted in contraband trial (Riverbend), Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 11, 2024

- [reported] Cash-bond scam run from prison March 2022-April 2024; phones delivered by drone
  The men conducted the cash-bond scam from March 2022 to April 2024, targeting victims across several states, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Iowa; cell phones were delivered to the prison using a drone, enabling inmates to make fraudulent calls.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,operations
  Sources: GA man in prison led 'cash bond' scheme, convinced people to pay or they would be arrested – WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta

- [reported] Cash-bond scam sentences: Weatherspoon 130 months, Dieudonne 36, Brazil 51, Scorza 72
  Weatherspoon received a sentence of 130 months, Dieudonne 36 months, Brazil 51 months, and Scorza 72 months in federal prison, each to also serve a three-year term of supervised release.
  Date: 2024-01-01
  Tags: legal,corruption
  Sources: GA man in prison led 'cash bond' scheme, convinced people to pay or they would be arrested – WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta

- [reported] Drone smuggling conspiracy used six drones, September 2023 to May 2026
  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia stated that beginning in September 2023 until May 2026, the defendants allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to use six drones in their scheme.
  Tags: contraband,investigations
  Sources: US Attorney MDGA: Twelve Indicted in Alleged Drone Smuggling Conspiracy at Ten Prisons

- [reported] Smith SP drone crash led agents to nearby residence
  GDC reported that Smith State Prison Warden Beasley and Southeast Region OPS agents observed a drone while exiting the facility in the early hours of August 2nd, monitored its flight to a nearby residence, and observed it crash into the roof.
  Date: 2023-08-02
  Tags: contraband,operations,facilities
  Sources: Significant Contraband Recovered | Georgia Department of Corrections

- [reported] Twelve indicted in largest federal drone smuggling prosecution
  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia stated that an indictment was unsealed charging twelve individuals in a conspiracy using drones to smuggle contraband, such as drugs and cell phones, into ten prisons across eight states, including Georgia, which it called the largest federal prosecution to date involving coordinated drone smuggling into prisons.
  Date: 2026-06-01
  Tags: contraband,drugs,investigations
  Sources: US Attorney MDGA: Twelve Indicted in Alleged Drone Smuggling Conspiracy at Ten Prisons

- [reported] United States v. Alphonsus: five defendants named in docket
  The docket in United States v. Alphonsus lists five defendants: Jordan C. Alphonsus, Joey Amour Jackson, Ylijira Anoinise Jackson, Sardaria Copelin, and Lance David Riddle.
  Date: 2026-10-16
  Tags: legal,investigations
  Sources: United States v. ALPHONSUS, 2026-10-16 (court record via CourtListener)

- [confirmed] Smith State Prison drone incident contraband recovered
  GDC's press release about an August 2023 incident at Smith State Prison, in which staff observed a drone, lists contraband recovered beyond the guard lines including 1508 grams marijuana, 10,100 grams tobacco, 3 drones, 4 drone controllers, and 1 loaded Taurus .357 magnum handgun.
  Date: 2023-08-04
  Tags: contraband,drugs,operations
  Sources: Significant Contraband Recovered | Georgia Department of Corrections

- [reported] Alphonsus arrested in Northern District of Georgia
  The docket in United States v. Alphonsus records that Jordan C. Alphonsus was arrested in the Northern District of Georgia.
  Date: 2026-01-01
  Tags: legal,investigations
  Sources: United States v. ALPHONSUS, 2026-10-16 (court record via CourtListener)

- [reported] Nearly 50 GDC officers indicted for accepting bribes
  Nearly 50 former and current Georgia Department of Corrections officers were indicted on the day the FBI announced Operation Ghost Guard results, for accepting bribes in exchange for protecting what they believed to be drug shipments.
  Tags: corruption,drugs,legal
  Sources: Operation Ghost Guard — FBI

- [confirmed] Smith State Prison drone incident: 3 drones and 4 controllers
  GDC reported recovering 3 drones and 4 drone controllers in the Smith State Prison incident, along with 1508 grams of marijuana and 10,100 grams of tobacco.
  Date: 2023-08-04
  Tags: contraband,operations
  Sources: Significant Contraband Recovered | Georgia Department of Corrections

- [reported] Joint motion to apply Alphonsus seized funds to restitution
  The United States and Jordan C. Alphonsus filed a joint motion asking the court to apply funds seized from Alphonsus toward his restitution obligation.
  Date: 2026-01-01
  Tags: legal
  Sources: United States v. ALPHONSUS, 2026-10-16 (court record via CourtListener)

- [reported] Inmate used contraband phone to solicit child sexual abuse material, sentenced to nearly 20 years
  The state attorneys general's letter to the FCC states that in Georgia, an inmate eligible for parole in 2023 used a contraband cell phone to solicit child sexual abuse material and to arrange a sexual encounter with an individual thought to be a minor, and was later sentenced to nearly 20 years in federal prison for online child solicitation.
  Date: 2023-01-01
  Tags: contraband,legal,investigations
  Sources: December 23, 2025

- [reported] 15 officers, 19 civilians, 19 inmates indicted month before Ghost Guard announcement
  The month before the Operation Ghost Guard announcement, 15 corrections officers, 19 civilians, and 19 inmates were indicted, and a large amount of contraband including drugs, weapons and cell phones was recovered.
  Tags: corruption,contraband,legal
  Sources: Operation Ghost Guard — FBI

- [reported] Alphonsus did not go to trial with Jackson and Riddle
  Jordan C. Alphonsus did not go to trial with co-defendants Joey Amour Jackson and Lance David Riddle, per the court's modification of the trial exhibit list docket text.
  Date: 2026-01-13
  Tags: legal
  Sources: United States v. ALPHONSUS, 2026-10-16 (court record via CourtListener)

- [reported] Operation Ghost Guard origin: kidnapping plot from contraband phone
  Operation Ghost Guard began in May 2014 after a kidnapping plot set in motion by a prisoner serving a life sentence in North Carolina who used a contraband phone to seek revenge on the prosecutor who helped convict him, enlisting Atlanta gang members to kidnap the prosecutor's father.
  Date: 2014-05-01
  Tags: contraband,gangs,violence,investigations
  Sources: Operation Ghost Guard — FBI

- [reported] Damon Thomas Young sentenced to seven years for prison-run fraud
  Damon Thomas Young, a Georgia inmate who was serving time for assaulting a police officer, was sentenced to seven years in prison after using a contraband cell phone in 2019 to pose as a purchasing officer for a pharmaceutical company and order heavy equipment.
  Date: 2019-01-01
  Tags: contraband,legal
  Sources: Georgia inmate sentenced in fraud scheme run from prison | State News | The Brunswick News

- [reported] Young convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft
  The U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta said Damon Thomas Young was sentenced to seven years in prison, having been convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in August.
  Date: 2019-01-01
  Tags: contraband,legal
  Sources: Georgia inmate sentenced in fraud scheme run from prison | State News | The Brunswick News

- [reported] Young ordered nearly $3 million in equipment, acquired over $500,000
  Damon Thomas Young ordered nearly $3 million of heavy equipment using the scheme, but prosecutors say he only managed to acquire four pieces worth over $500,000, which the Gordon County Sheriff's Office recovered.
  Date: 2019-01-01
  Tags: contraband,legal
  Sources: Georgia inmate sentenced in fraud scheme run from prison | State News | The Brunswick News

- [reported] Anthony Sanders indicted January 8, 2025 for jury duty scam
  Anthony Sanders, a Georgia inmate, and an accomplice were indicted on January 8, 2025 on charges related to a jury duty scam in which Sanders called a victim, a 30-year nurse, posing as a Sarasota, Florida sheriff threatening arrest for failure to show up for jury duty and demanding a payment of more than $12,000.
  Date: 2025-01-08
  Tags: contraband,legal
  Sources: Georgia Criminals Operating Scams While In Prison

- [reported] Russell Tafron Weatherspoon convicted of multistate scam 2022-2024
  Russell Tafron Weatherspoon was convicted of masterminding a multistate scam between March 2022 and April 2024 in which he and other co-conspirators called victims nationwide posing as local law enforcement officers, using an app to spoof the phone numbers of legitimate law enforcement agencies.
  Tags: contraband,legal,corruption
  Sources: Georgia Criminals Operating Scams While In Prison

POLICYS (19)
----------------------------------------
- [reported] GDC PROscan deployment at 18 facilities
  Correctional News reports that GDC has deployed SDF's PROscan correctional cellular interdiction technology at 18 GDC correctional facilities, with additional sites planned through 2026.
  Date: 2026-01-01
  Tags: contraband,operations,facilities,policy
  Sources: Correctional News: Georgia DOC Expands Contraband Interdiction Strategy Through Advanced Wireless Security Technology

- [reported] Board of Corrections hoped FCC would permit jamming technology (2015)
  The Georgia Board of Corrections' October 2015 meeting minutes record a statement that the Board hoped Corrections would be able to get permission from the FCC to use jamming technology.
  Date: 2015-10-01
  Tags: contraband,policy,operations
  Sources: Board Meeting Minutes October 2015

- [reported] Commissioner's March 2025 report covered cellphone jamming and drone mitigation
  The Georgia Board of Corrections' March 2025 meeting minutes record the Commissioner's Report as covering Crossover Day and legislative bill tracking at the state Capitol, cellphone jamming and drone mitigation, and Governor Brian P. Kemp signing the Amended Budget.
  Date: 2025-03-01
  Tags: contraband,policy,operations,budget
  Sources: Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes march 2025

- [reported] FCC DCFO list names GDC officials for Georgia state prisons
  The FCC's list of Designated Correctional Facility Officials names Alan Watson, Chief of Staff, Georgia Department of Corrections, and Matthew Wolfe, Director, Georgia Department of Corrections, as DCFOs responsible for Georgia's state prisons, with Arrendale State Prison listed at 2023 Gainesville Highway, P.O. Box 709, Alto, GA 30510.
  Tags: policy,contraband,operations
  Sources: List of Designated Correctional Facility Officials (DCFOs) | Federal Communications Commission

- [reported] Managed access system scheduled for Autry State Prison in fall 2018
  GDC's 2018 Annual Report states a managed access system was scheduled to be installed in a fourth location, Autry State Prison, in fall of 2018.
  Date: 2018-01-01
  Tags: contraband,policy,facilities
  Sources: GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2018

- [reported] Drone detection system evaluations at Autry and Calhoun State Prisons
  GDC's Annual Report states Drone Detection system evaluations began July 28, 2017 at Autry State Prison, and in December 2017 at Calhoun State Prison.
  Date: 2017-01-01
  Tags: contraband,policy,facilities
  Sources: GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2018

- [reported] FCC approves Hawks Ear Communications contraband interdiction system certification
  The FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau approved the Contraband Interdiction System certification application filed by Hawks Ear Communications LLC under phase one of the Commission's two-phase CIS authorization process, under GN Docket No. 13-111.
  Tags: policy,contraband,operations
  Sources: FCC DA 25-234, CIS Phase 1 Certification

- [confirmed] FY2026 budget includes $13,387,475 for contraband prevention
  The Governor's Budget Report for FY2026 included $13,387,475 for managed access and drone detection systems to prevent contraband in facilities.
  Tags: budget,contraband,policy
  Sources: Governor's Budget Report, AFY 2026 and FY 2027

- [confirmed] FY2027 budget funds five managed access analysts at $409,040
  The FY2027 Governor's Budget Report GDC detail directs five managed access analysts be funded with $409,040.
  Tags: budget,staffing,contraband
  Sources: Governor's Budget Report, AFY 2026 and FY 2027

- [confirmed] FY2027 budget utilizes $10,793,600 for contraband prevention
  The FY2027 Governor's Budget Report GDC detail utilizes existing funds of $10,793,600 for managed access and drone detection systems to prevent contraband in facilities.
  Tags: budget,contraband,policy
  Sources: Governor's Budget Report, AFY 2026 and FY 2027

- [confirmed] FY2026 budget includes $4,982,902 for correctional officer positions
  Georgia's Governor's Budget Report's Department of Corrections budget highlights include $4,982,902 for additional correctional officer positions to improve staff to offender ratios.
  Tags: budget,staffing
  Sources: Governor's Budget Report, AFY 2026 and FY 2027

- [confirmed] Amended FY2025 budget includes $35,027,675 for contraband prevention
  The Governor's Recommendation for Amended FY 2025 included $35,027,675 for managed access and drone detection systems to prevent contraband in facilities.
  Tags: budget,contraband,policy
  Sources: Governor's Budget Report, AFY 2025 and FY 2026

- [reported] GDC Cell-Sense Device blocks contraband cell phones
  GDC's New Technologies in Corrections fact sheet states a Cell-Sense Device prohibits unlawfully possessed cell phones from operating within a facility.
  Tags: policy,contraband,operations
  Sources: New Technologies Georgia

- [reported] GDC Cellular Phone Access Management technology
  GDC's 'New Technologies in Corrections' fact sheet describes a Cellular Phone Access Management technology, stating the Cell-Sense Device prohibits unlawfully possessed cell phones from operating within a facility.
  Tags: policy,contraband,operations
  Sources: New Technologies Georgia

- [reported] GDC Office of Professional Standards reported FY2023 contraband and drone data to Board
  Board of Corrections June 2023 minutes record that the Office of Professional Standards presented highlights including contraband seized for Fiscal Year 2023, contraband facilitators (phones and drones received), and drones detected and recovered.
  Date: 2023-06-01
  Tags: contraband,operations,policy
  Sources: Board of Corrections

- [reported] GDC drone incident and contraband recovery data presented to Board in October 2021
  GDC's Board of Corrections October 2021 minutes record that the Director of GDC's Office of Professional Standards discussed drone incidents, drone sightings by month and by region, top three drone sightings by facilities, and Calendar Year 2021 contraband recovered including confirmed drone drops and drones recovered in contraband drops.
  Date: 2021-10-01
  Tags: contraband,operations,policy
  Sources: Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes october 2021

- [reported] GDC advocates federal action for cell phone signal jamming
  GDC states that because contraband, specifically cell phones, presents a serious danger within correctional systems nationwide, GDC and its counterparts continuously advocate for cell phone signal jamming, which requires federal action.
  Tags: policy,contraband,legal
  Sources: Georgia Department of Corrections, press release, August 21, 2024, Georgia Department of Corrections Contributes to Operation Night Drop Success

- [reported] GDC Board March 2026 minutes: Managed Access system discussed
  GDC's March 2026 Board of Corrections minutes record that Commissioner Oliver discussed the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 Budget being signed and the Managed Access system among Commissioner's Report topics.
  Date: 2026-03-01
  Tags: policy,contraband,budget
  Sources: Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes march 2026

- [reported] GDC Board April 2025 minutes: Oliver attended D.C. cell phone jamming press conference
  GDC's Board of Corrections minutes record that Commissioner Oliver had participated in a press conference in Washington D.C. regarding Cell Phone Jamming.
  Date: 2025-04-01
  Tags: policy,contraband
  Sources: Board of Corrections Meeting Minutes, April 3, 2025

QUOTES (9)
----------------------------------------
- [reported] Carr: FCC blocks cell phone jamming in prisons and jails
  AG Chris Carr stated that the easiest way to protect the public from the harms caused by contraband cell phones is to allow for the use of cell phone jamming technology in prisons and jails, but the FCC continues to block those efforts.
  Date: 2024-06-04
  Tags: contraband,policy,legal
  Sources: Carr Calls for Federal Action to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails

- [reported] Judge Steve Jones remarks at Cofield sentencing
  Judge Steve Jones told Cofield at sentencing, "If you had put the intelligence you have to legal and positive things, you would have been very successful in life," repeating a message he had given when accepting Cofield's guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
  Tags: legal,investigations
  Sources: Georgia inmate who stole $11 million from behind bars gets 11-year federal prison sentence

- [reported] Commissioner Oliver on contraband phones and organized crime
  GDC Commissioner Tyrone Oliver is quoted saying contraband phones "are connected to organized criminal activity both inside and outside the facility."
  Date: 2026-01-01
  Tags: contraband,corruption,gangs
  Sources: Correctional News: Georgia DOC Expands Contraband Interdiction Strategy Through Advanced Wireless Security Technology

- [reported] Oliver: contraband cell phones can be deadly weapons
  GDC Commissioner Tyrone Oliver stated there are hundreds of examples from across the country of how a contraband cell phone in the hands of an inmate can be used as a deadly weapon and gives them the ability to continue their criminal enterprise.
  Date: 2024-06-04
  Tags: contraband,violence,operations
  Sources: Carr Calls for Federal Action to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails

- [reported] Kemp: public safety is number one priority
  Governor Brian Kemp stated that public safety is the number one priority of state government and that is why a comprehensive and deliberate approach has been taken to strengthening law enforcement and improving the corrections system.
  Tags: policy,investigations
  Sources: Gov. Kemp Unveils Recommendations from System-wide Corrections System Assessment, Office of Governor Brian Kemp

- [reported] U.S. Attorney Steinberg statement on Operation Night Drop indictments
  U.S. Attorney Jill Steinberg stated that the Operation Night Drop indictments identify networks of individuals determined to introduce into prisons controlled substances and other contraband that compromise the safety and security of individuals held in those facilities and those employed there, and further endanger members of the outside public.
  Tags: contraband,investigations,drugs
  Sources: Pair of indictments charge conspiracies to use drones to deliver illegal drugs, contraband cell phones to Georgia prisons, U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of Georgia, August 21, 2024

- [reported] Tillery: prisons are not TikTok; block cell signals
  Senate Appropriations Chairman Sen. Blake Tillery stated that prisons are for punishment and rehabilitation, not TikTok, and that cell signals in prisons must be blocked for employee, inmate, and public safety.
  Tags: policy,contraband
  Sources: Gov. Kemp Unveils Recommendations from System-wide Corrections System Assessment, Office of Governor Brian Kemp

- [reported] Carr: jamming would be a game-changer for public safety
  AG Chris Carr stated that Georgia cannot allow another innocent Georgian to lose their life at the hands of a violent inmate with a contraband cell phone, and that jamming the signal of these contraband cell phones would be a game-changer for public safety.
  Tags: policy,contraband,violence
  Sources: Carr Backs New FCC Proposal Allowing for Cell Phone Jamming Technology in State Prisons and Jails

- [reported] Commissioner Oliver: zero-tolerance policy for those jeopardizing public safety
  GDC Commissioner Tyrone Oliver stated the department maintains a zero-tolerance policy for individuals who jeopardize its mission of public safety, whether civilian or inmate, in connection with Operation Night Drop.
  Tags: policy,contraband,corruption
  Sources: Georgia Department of Corrections, press release, August 21, 2024, Georgia Department of Corrections Contributes to Operation Night Drop Success

FINDINGS (7)
----------------------------------------
- [reported] Largest correctional cellular interdiction deployments in North America
  Correctional News reports that GDC, in partnership with SDF, has implemented the largest correctional cellular interdiction deployments in North America, using SDF's PROscan technology.
  Date: 2026-01-01
  Tags: contraband,operations,facilities
  Sources: Correctional News: Georgia DOC Expands Contraband Interdiction Strategy Through Advanced Wireless Security Technology

- [reported] Carr urges FCC to allow jamming devices, calls guidance outdated
  Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr urged the FCC to allow the use of cell phone jamming devices in state prisons and local jails, stating the FCC's prohibition is outdated guidance that limits legitimate law enforcement tools.
  Date: 2024-06-04
  Tags: policy,legal,contraband
  Sources: Carr Calls for Federal Action to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails

- [reported] GDC employees smuggled cell phones with internet access for bribes
  DOJ said the conspiracy involved GDOC employees at Phillips and Valdosta State Prisons who helped smuggle cell phones and other contraband to inmates in exchange for bribe payments, and that those cell phones were often equipped with touch screens and internet access.
  Tags: contraband,corruption
  Sources: Twelve Charged in Scheme That Allowed Georgia Inmates to Sell Drugs and Defraud Consumers Inside Prison

- [reported] GDC: family-targeted release-fee calls are fraudulent, inmate-run
  GDC states that fraudulent calls demanding payment for an incarcerated loved one's release are believed to be orchestrated by inmates using contraband cell phones.
  Tags: contraband,investigations,policy
  Sources: Scams Targeting Families in Georgia | Georgia Department of Corrections

- [reported] Commissioner Oliver: technology deployments in corrections are not one-time events
  GDC Commissioner Oliver described contraband-interdiction vendor relationships as needing partners willing to invest time and resources, saying correctional agencies need partners that help because technology deployments in corrections are not one-time events.
  Date: 2026-09-23
  Tags: contraband,operations,policy
  Sources: Correctional News: Georgia DOC Expands Contraband Interdiction Strategy Through Advanced Wireless Security Technology

- [reported] Operation Ghost Guard found corruption in 11 of 35 state facilities
  The FBI's investigation into Operation Ghost Guard found criminal and corrupt activities in 11 of Georgia's 35 state corrections facilities.
  Tags: corruption,investigations,facilities
  Sources: Operation Ghost Guard — FBI

- [reported] Jury-duty scam method described by FBI
  In the Georgia jury-duty scam described by the FBI, inmates called victims, impersonated law enforcement, claimed the victims had failed to appear for jury duty, and told them they could either be arrested on warrants or pay fines to have the warrants dismissed, with victims instructed to purchase pre-paid cash cards and provide the account numbers.
  Tags: contraband,corruption,legal
  Sources: Operation Ghost Guard — FBI

DATA GAPS (1)
----------------------------------------
- [reported] Scheme losses and victim count likely higher
  The scheme resulted in more than $464,920 in documented losses from 119 victims nationwide, though the true number of victims is likely much higher. Many cases go unreported, are not fully investigated or are concealed by victims who are too embarrassed to come forward.
  Tags: corruption,investigations
  Sources: <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor, georgia inmates found guilty nationwide jury duty call scheme

DATASETS (8)
----------------------------------------
# FY2016 GDC Contraband Seizures and Incidents
  Contraband seizure and incident totals reported in GDC's Fiscal Year 2016 Annual Report.
  Contraband Type                      Count  
  --------------------------------------------
  Cell phones found                    8222   
  Drug seizures                        1191   
  Weapons confiscated                  6799   
  Contraband throw-overs               110    
  Individuals arrested for contraband  226    

# GDC Digital Forensics Unit cell phone processing, FY24 vs FY25
  Cell phones processed and analyzed by GDC's Digital Forensics Unit, with FY24 compromised staff and intelligence items.
  Fiscal Year  Cell Phones Processed  Compromised Staff Identified  Actionable Intelligence Items  
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  FY24         15702                  36                            1398                           
  FY25         17991                                                                               

# GDC Contraband Seizures by Canine Unit, FY2020
  Contraband quantities seized by GDC's Canine Unit at GDC facilities and detail sites in FY2020, as reported in GDC's Annual Report.
  Contraband Type  Quantity  Unit     
  ------------------------------------
  Marijuana        63        lbs      
  Methamphetamine  14        lbs      
  Cocaine          0.21      lbs      
  Tobacco          979       lbs      
  Cell Phones      2356      phones   
  Weapons          769       weapons  

# GDC Digital Forensics Unit cellphone processing by fiscal year
  Number of cellphones processed and analyzed by GDC's Digital Forensics Unit, as reported in GDC Annual Fiscal Reports.
  Fiscal Year  Cellphones Processed  
  -----------------------------------
  FY2022       10083                 
  FY2023       15592                 

# Smith State Prison August 2023 Contraband Recovery
  Contraband recovered beyond guard lines after staff observed a drone at Smith State Prison in August 2023.
  Item                               Quantity  
  ---------------------------------------------
  Marijuana                          1508      
  Tobacco                            10100     
  Drones                             3         
  Drone controllers                  4         
  Loaded Taurus .357 magnum handgun  1         

# GDC drone detection, FY24
  Drone incidents and seizures reported by GDC for FY24, plus facility detection coverage.
  Metric                                   Value  
  ------------------------------------------------
  Total Drone Incidents                    434    
  Total Drones Seized                      166    
  Facilities Equipped in FY24              7      
  Total Sites with Detection Capabilities  12     

# GDC FY2018 Controlled Shakedown Seizures
  Contraband items confiscated during controlled shakedowns in FY2018, as reported in GDC's Annual Report.
  Contraband Type  Quantity  
  ---------------------------
  Cell Phones      1271      
  Weapons          4323      
  Drugs            4270.33   
  Tobacco          8104      
  Green Dot Cards  114       

# Autry State Prison fraud scheme defendants by category
  Breakdown of 51 defendants charged in the Autry State Prison contraband cell phone fraud and bribery scheme.
  Defendant Category                             Count  
  ------------------------------------------------------
  Current or former Autry correctional officers  15     
  Current or former GDOC inmates                 19     
  Outside individuals                            17     

KEY ENTITIES (107)
----------------------------------------
- Alan Watson [person]: Chief of Staff at the Georgia Department of Corrections.
- Andre Deaveon Reese [person]: Atlanta man sentenced to 33 months and $9,797.95 restitution for jury-duty fraud scheme run from Autry State Prison.
- Anekra Artina Williams [person]: Former GDOC guard at Valdosta State Prison charged with methamphetamine distribution and extortion.
- Anthony Sanders [person]: Georgia inmate indicted January 8, 2025 for jury duty scam demanding over $12,000.
- Arrendale State Prison [facility]: Women's state prison in Alto, Habersham County, GA. Mixed close/medium security. Houses death row, diagnostic intake, Children's Center, all-female fire department. Being downsized toward transitional center status.
- Arthur Cofield [person]: Georgia man convicted of leading an $11 million fraud scheme from custody using contraband phones; sentenced to 135 months and later escaped from a federal camp at FCI Jessup. (aka: Arthur Lee Cofield Jr.)
- Autry State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison with GCI shoe/boot manufacturing and garment operations.
- Baldwin County Jail [facility]: County jail where Jacob Garner orchestrated pandemic unemployment fraud in 2020.
- Baldwin State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison where 26 grams of methamphetamine were found on a visitor in November 2025.
- Blake Tillery [person]: Senate Appropriations Chairman who declared 'Prisons are for punishment and rehabilitation — not TikTok' in support of corrections technology spending (aka: Senator Tillery)
- Brian Adams [person]: Former Warden of Smith State Prison, arrested on Georgia RICO charges in February 2023 for alleged involvement in drug-smuggling conspiracy
- Brian Kemp [person]: Governor of Georgia who proposed $600 million in emergency spending over 18 months for prison reform in January 2025. (aka: Governor Kemp)
- Brian P. Kemp [person]: Governor of Georgia who announced the initiation of the GDC system-wide assessment on June 17, 2024. (aka: Governor Kemp)
- Calhoun State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison where two female correctional officers were arrested in 2020 for allegedly smuggling methamphetamine in Hot Pockets; cases dismissed due to GDC failure to test evidence.
- Charles Schwab [organization]: Financial institution that wired $11 million from a victim's funds to an Idaho precious metal dealer in the Cofield fraud scheme.
- Chelsey Mayweather [person]: Former Correctional Officer at Baldwin State Prison, age 24, of Milledgeville, charged with accepting bribe payments to protect drug transactions and attempted drug trafficking.
- Chris Carr [person]: Georgia Attorney General. National leader on cell phone jamming advocacy in prisons, heading coalitions of 23-31 state attorneys general pushing for federal authorization.
- Christopher Cox [person]: Former correctional officer at Mize Street Detention Facility sentenced for smuggling contraband.
- Christopher Williams [person]: Former Correctional Officer at Hancock State Prison convicted of drug distribution and extortion.
- Coastal Transition Center [facility]: Georgia transition center.
- Commissioner Bryson [person]: Former GDC Commissioner quoted in 2016 press release on contraband.
- Commissioner Oliver [person]: Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner who testified to legislators about salary increases and stated that 'trying to hire 2,600 people in a fiscal year is just not possible.'
- Curtis Drakes [person]: Former correctional officer at Mize Street Detention Facility sentenced for smuggling cell phones.
- Damon Thomas Young [person]: Georgia inmate who ran a multi-million-dollar equipment fraud scheme from prison using a contraband cell phone. (aka: Morgan Sylvia)
- Dan Odom [person]: FBI Special Agent quoted on Operation Ghost Guard indictments.
- Dexter Lawrence [person]: SCDC inmate sentenced for money laundering in military sextortion scheme.
- Digital Forensics Unit [program]: GDC unit that processes and analyzes seized cell phones and generates intelligence leads. (aka: DFU)
- Dodge State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison where 592 grams of marijuana were found with a drone operator in November 2025.
- Dooly State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison where Jackie Kavaskia McMillan led drug trafficking network; second highest cell phone seizure count by end of 2016 (1,342 phones).
- DroneTracker [program]: Drone-detection alarm system piloted at Autry State Prison in 2017.
- FCI Jessup [facility]: Federal correctional institution in Georgia; adjacent camp from which Arthur Cofield escaped. (aka: federal minimum-security prison camp next to FCI Jessup)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation [organization]: Federal law enforcement agency that led Operation Ghost Guard investigation. (aka: FBI)
- Federal Communications Commission [organization]: Federal agency with authority over prison communications rates under the Martha Wright-Reed Act; implemented rate caps in 2024 that were suspended under new Republican majority in 2025 (aka: FCC)
- GEO Group [organization]: Private prison company that owns and operates select prison facilities in Georgia under contract with GDC. (aka: GEO Group, Inc.)
- Georgia Board of Corrections [organization]: Governing board that issues rules for Georgia prison operations, including Rule 125-4-2-.08 (Library) and Rule 125-2-4-.17
- Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts [organization]: State agency the committee recommended review all GDC contract renewals for the past five years. (aka: Georgia Department of Audits)
- Georgia Department of Corrections [organization]: State agency responsible for operating Georgia's prison system. Subject of federal DOJ investigation in 2022-2023 for constitutional violations including food-related deaths. (aka: GDC)
- Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison from which David 'Toro' Zavala operated drug trafficking while serving time for armed robbery.
- Georgia State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison where Chad Ashley Allen, serving a life sentence for murder, operated drug trafficking enterprise with Ghost Face Gangsters.
- Gordon County Sheriff's Office [organization]: Sheriff's office that recovered equipment acquired in Damon Thomas Young's fraud scheme.
- Hancock State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison where THC gummies, white powdery substances, and marijuana were recovered in January 2024.
- Hawks Ear Communications LLC [organization]: Most opaque of the three managed access vendors, covers 3 Georgia facilities (Hancock, Phillips, Valdosta); incorporated Florida 2015, registered Georgia 2022; managed by Roger Banks; no public website
- Hays State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison visited by DOJ during 2022-2023 investigation (aka: Hays)
- HB 1230 [legislation]: Georgia legislation revising restrictions on unmanned aircraft systems near places of incarceration, permitting contraband treatment and mitigation measures; effective July 1, 2026. (aka: Act 388)
- Homer Bryson [person]: Former GDC Commissioner who supported transitional center phone policies, stating it was important for residents to learn responsible use of technology (aka: Commissioner Homer Bryson)
- Jackson [person]: Inmate at Calhoun State Prison involved in jury-duty phone scam using contraband cellphones.
- Jacob Garner [person]: Georgia inmate who orchestrated pandemic unemployment fraud from Baldwin County Jail.
- Jay Byron Wright [person]: Inmate at Calhoun State Prison who pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in South Carolina.
- Jeremy Fluellen [person]: Former Correctional Officer at Hancock State Prison and COBRA Squad member convicted of attempted cocaine distribution and extortion.
- Jill Steinberg [person]: U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
- Jimmy Autry State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison in Pelham, Georgia. (aka: Autry State Prison, Autry SP)
- Joey Amour Jackson [person]: Inmate convicted January 9, 2026 for conspiracy to commit wire fraud using contraband phones and VOIP from Calhoun State Prison
- Jordan C. Alphonsus [person]: Defendant in United States v. Alphonsus; arrested in the Northern District of Georgia; did not go to trial with co-defendants.
- Lance David Riddle [person]: Co-defendant in United States v. Alphonsus who went to trial.
- Lance Riddle [person]: Inmate convicted January 9, 2026 for conspiracy to commit wire fraud using contraband phones and VOIP from Calhoun State Prison
- Leah McEwen [person]: Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the Calhoun State Prison methamphetamine smuggling case. (aka: Assistant United States Attorney Leah McEwen)
- Lindsey Garner [person]: Co-defendant and then-girlfriend of Jacob Garner in pandemic unemployment fraud scheme. (aka: Lindsey Quinton)
- Marlita Andrews [person]: Outside associate of Anthony Sanders, indicted for wire fraud conspiracy.
- Matthew Wolfe [person]: Director, Office of Professional Standards at the Georgia Department of Corrections.
- Mims Morris [person]: Inmate at Phillips State Prison named in a smuggling and fraud indictment.
- Mize Street Detention Facility [facility]: Detention facility in Pelham, Georgia, where officers Drakes and Cox smuggled contraband.
- Natashia Seals [person]: Riverbend Correctional Facility officer convicted October 2024 of trading with inmates, false statements, violation of oath
- Nathan Weekes [person]: Smith State Prison inmate who ran the Yves Saint Laurent Squad smuggling/murder ring; ordered hits resulting in murders of Jerry Lee Davis, Bobby Carlton Kicklighter, and Jessica Gerling
- Nicholas Grindle [person]: Correctional officer at Hays State Prison whose locker was found containing contraband on January 7, 2024.
- Nicholas Rotunda Allen [person]: Autry State Prison inmate, age 39, who pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Louisiana to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a grand jury scam.
- O.C.G.A. § 42-5-18 [legislation]: Georgia statute governing contraband in places of incarceration, including telecommunications devices, drugs, weapons, and unmanned aircraft systems. (aka: Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-5-18)
- Operation Ghost Guard [operation]: FBI two-year investigation (2016) into GDC corruption resulting in ~130 indictments including 46 current and former correctional officers across 11 facilities.
- Operation Night Drop [operation]: 2024 DEA operation resulting in two federal indictments targeting drone-based drug delivery conspiracies at Smith State Prison, Telfair State Prison, and other facilities from 2019 through July 2024.
- Orenthial Walker [person]: Decatur, Georgia resident indicted in a $200,000 jury-duty scam; previously arrested in July 2018 for a similar Alabama-based scam.
- Phillips State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison visited by DOJ during 2022-2023 investigation (aka: Phillips)
- PROscan [program]: Correctional cellular interdiction technology deployed by GDC at 18 facilities.
- Reginald Perkins [person]: Autry State Prison inmate sentenced to 12 years, seven months for laundering $1 million in jury-duty scam proceeds.
- Richard W. Long [person]: Ellenwood, Georgia man sentenced to two years for interstate extortion conspiracy involving prison cell phone calls.
- Rico Raymond Cook [person]: Georgia inmate indicted for organizing interstate jury-duty scam from prison.
- Riddle [person]: Inmate at Calhoun State Prison involved in jury-duty phone scam using contraband cellphones.
- Riverbend Correctional Facility [facility]: Medium security facility operated by GEO Group with 25% recidivism rate and 66% post-release employment rate
- Robert Nnanwubas [person]: Inmate who ran telephone fraud scheme from Calhoun State Prison; pleaded guilty. (aka: Bo)
- Russell Tafron Weatherspoon [person]: Convicted of masterminding a multistate law-enforcement impersonation scam March 2022-April 2024.
- Sardaria Copelin [person]: Defendant in United States v. Alphonsus.
- SB 159 [legislation]: Georgia bill advanced 34-20 in the Senate to make bringing wireless devices inside guard lines a felony.
- SDF [organization]: Technology vendor providing PROscan correctional cellular interdiction technology to GDC.
- Shanell Brown [person]: Riverbend Correctional Facility officer convicted October 2024 of trading with inmates, false statements, violation of oath
- Smith State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison targeted by drone smuggling networks; subject of Operation Night Drop indictments.
- South Carolina Department of Corrections [organization]: South Carolina state corrections agency operating a dedicated prison school district, awarding ~8,300 credentials annually, with the lowest recidivism rate in the U.S. at 17.1%
- Steve Jones [person]: Federal judge who sentenced Arthur Cofield. (aka: U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones)
- Tattnall County Grand Jury [organization]: Grand jury that returned the May 13, 2026 indictment against Brian Adams.
- Teiana Marie Taylor [person]: Decatur, Georgia resident arrested with Orenthial Walker on a Northern District of Alabama jury-duty conspiracy indictment.
- Tierra Harrison [person]: Riverbend Correctional Facility officer convicted October 2024 of trading with inmates, false statements, violation of oath
- Tramaine Tucker [person]: Former Correctional Officer at Hancock State Prison and Riverbend Correctional Facility convicted of attempted drug distribution and extortion.
- Tyrone Oliver [person]: Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections who in March 2024 stopped including preliminary cause of death in monthly mortality reports. (aka: Commissioner Oliver, GDC Commissioner)
- U.S. Attorney's Office [organization]: Federal prosecutor's office that announced indictments of GDC officers for contraband smuggling and bribery. (aka: USAO)
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina [organization]: Federal prosecutor's office that handled Jay Byron Wright case.
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana [organization]: Federal prosecutor's office that handled Nicholas Rotunda Allen case.
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia [organization]: Federal prosecutors for the Middle District of Georgia, which issued press releases on Calhoun State Prison prosecutions. (aka: USAO-MDGA, U.S. Attorney's Office)
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama [organization]: Federal prosecutor's office that indicted Rico Raymond Cook.
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia [organization]: Federal prosecutor's office that announced the Jeffery sentencing. (aka: USAO-NDGA)
- U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia [organization]: Federal prosecutor's office that announced the drone-smuggling sentencings. (aka: US Attorney's Office, Southern District of Georgia)
- U.S. Attorney's Office in Atlanta [organization]: Federal prosecutor's office that announced Damon Thomas Young's sentencing.
- U.S. Department of Justice [organization]: Federal agency that published October 2024 findings report on unconstitutional conditions in Georgia prisons. (aka: DOJ)
- United States v. Alphonsus [case]: Federal criminal case with five named defendants, sentencing hearing held October 14, 2026.
- United States v. Nnanwubas [case]: Federal criminal case resulting in an 8-month sentence for Robert Nnanwubas.
- W. Louis Sands [person]: Federal judge who sentenced Crystal Avery on June 20, 2019. (aka: Honorable W. Louis Sands)
- Wendell Wilkins [person]: SCDC inmate sentenced for money laundering in military sextortion scheme.
- Wilcox State Prison [facility]: Georgia state prison visited by DOJ during 2022-2023 investigation (aka: Wilcox)
- Wireless Containment System [program]: Prison cell-phone interdiction technology that inmates defeated by dialing 911, per the 2025 FCC letter. (aka: WCS)
- Ylijira Anoinise Jackson [person]: Defendant in United States v. Alphonsus.
- YSL Squad [operation]: Contraband smuggling operation at Smith State Prison referenced in the indictment of former warden Brian Adams.

SOURCES (79)
----------------------------------------
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-edla/pr/geor, georgia inmate pleads guilty conspiracy commit wire fraud his role grand jury scam, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/georgia-inmate-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-commit-wire-fraud-his-role-grand-jury-scam
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/georgia-inmates-sentenced-police-impersonation-jury-duty-call-scheme
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-mdga/pr/geor, georgia inmates found guilty nationwide jury duty call scheme, U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/georgia-inmates-found-guilty-nationwide-jury-duty-call-scheme
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndal/pr/geor, georgia pair arrested role interstate jury duty scam, U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Alabama [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/georgia-pair-arrested-role-interstate-jury-duty-scam
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/furt, U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/further-corruption-involving-georgia-department-corrections-guards-exposed
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/inma, U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/inmate-sentenced-operating-fake-jury-duty-money-laundering-scheme-georgia-state-prison
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/jury, U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia (2026-01-01) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/jury-convicts-four-former-georgia-department-corrections-officers-bribery-and-drug
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/more, U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/more-50-individuals-charged-massive-corruption-fraud-and-money-laundering-schemes
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/pris, U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia (2025-02-10) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/prison-officer-falsely-claiming-military-heroism-sentenced-smuggling-methamphetamine
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-ndga/pr/seve, U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Georgia (2024-01-01) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/seventeen-charged-drug-trafficking-ring-operated-inside-georgia-state-correctional
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-sdga/pr/indi, U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/indictment-charges-georgia-man-running-jury-duty-scam-extorted-200000-victims
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-wdla/pr/form, U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Louisiana [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/former-prison-inmate-georgia-sentenced-defrauding-victims-out-over-9700
- <!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"> <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; URL='/usao-wdpa/pr/geor, U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Pennsylvania [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/georgia-man-sentenced-prison-role-interstate-extortion-conspiracy
- 2O22 (gdc.georgia.gov), Georgia Department of Corrections (2022-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2022/download
- 5 inmates among 15 defendants indicted wire fraud extortion and money laundering scheme, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina (2018-01-01) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/5-inmates-among-15-defendants-indicted-wire-fraud-extortion-and-money-laundering-scheme
- Alarm Alerts Staff to Drug-Carrying Drone at Autry State Prison, Georgia Department of Corrections (2017-12-06) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/press-releases/2017-12-06/alarm-alerts-staff-drug-carrying-drone-autry-state-prison
- Board Meeting Minutes October 2015, Georgia Board of Corrections (2015-10-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/board-meeting-minutes/board-meeting-minutes-october-2015/download
- Board of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections (2023-06-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/board-meeting-minutes/board-meeting-minutes-june-2023/download
- Board of Corrections Meeting Minutes, April 3, 2025, Georgia Department of Corrections (2025-04-03) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/board-meeting-minutes/board-meeting-minutes-april-2025/download
- Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes march 2025, Georgia Board of Corrections (2025-03-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/board-meeting-minutes/board-meeting-minutes-march-2025/download
- Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes march 2026, Georgia Department of Corrections (2026-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/board-meeting-minutes/board-meeting-minutes-march-2026/download
- Board of Corrections, board meeting minutes october 2021, Georgia Department of Corrections (2021-10-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/board-meeting-minutes/board-meeting-minutes-october-2021/download
- Carr Backs New FCC Proposal Allowing for Cell Phone Jamming Technology in State Prisons and Jails, Office of the Georgia Attorney General (2025-09-26) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://law.georgia.gov/press-releases/2025-09-26/carr-backs-new-fcc-proposal-allowing-cell-phone-jamming-technology-state
- Carr Calls for Federal Action to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails, Office of the Georgia Attorney General (2024-06-04) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://law.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-06-04/carr-calls-federal-action-combat-contraband-cell-phones-prisons-and-jails
- Carr Indicts Former Prison Warden in Contraband Smuggling Operation | Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Georgia Attorney General (2026-05-13) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://law.georgia.gov/press-releases/2026-05-13/carr-indicts-former-prison-warden-contraband-smuggling-operation
- Carr Leads 23-State Coalition in Support of FCC’s Proposal to Combat Contraband Cell Phones in Prisons and Jails | Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Georgia Attorney General (2026-01-07) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://law.georgia.gov/press-releases/2026-01-07/carr-leads-23-state-coalition-support-fccs-proposal-combat-contraband
- Correctional News: Georgia DOC Expands Contraband Interdiction Strategy Through Advanced Wireless Security Technology, Correctional News (2026-09-23) [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://correctionalnews.com/2026/09/23/georgia-doc-expands-contraband-interdiction-strategy-through-advanced-wireless-security-technology/
- December 23, 2025, Office of the Georgia Attorney General (2025-12-23) [legal_document, primary]
  URL: https://law.georgia.gov/document/document/20251223-letter-fcc-re-cell-phone-jamming-rulepdf--UNPUBLISHED-document--DO-NOT-SHARE-this-URL--/download
- FCC DA 25-234, CIS Phase 1 Certification, Federal Communications Commission (2025-03-17) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-25-234A1.pdf
- Federal inmate convicted in $11 million fraud scheme on the run after escaping Georgia prison - CBS Atlanta, CBS Atlanta (2026-01-01) [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/arthur-cofield-jessup-prison-escape-manhunt-fraud-scheme-conviction/
- Feds bust ring that allegedly flew drugs, weapons into prisons, Capitol Beat (2026-06-01) [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://capitol-beat.org/2026/06/feds-bust-ring-that-allegedly-flew-drugs-weapons-into-prisons-with-drones/
- FY23 Annual Report, Georgia Department of Corrections (2023-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2023/download
- FY24 Annual Report, Georgia Department of Corrections (2024-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2024/download
- FY25 (gdc.georgia.gov), Georgia Department of Corrections (2025-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2025/download
- GA man in prison led 'cash bond' scheme, convinced people to pay or they would be arrested – WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta, WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta (2024-01-01) [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/ga-man-prison-led-cash-bond-scheme-convinced-people-pay-or-they-would-be-arrested/D6NJGU5ZIRAWJEMX7KL6D4R7OM/
- GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2014, Georgia Department of Corrections (2014-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2014/download
- GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2018, Georgia Department of Corrections (2018-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2018/download
- GDC Annual Fiscal Report 2020, Georgia Department of Corrections (2020-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2020/download
- GDC Contraband Arrest Reports, Georgia Department of Corrections [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/organization/about-gdc/agency-activity/research-and-reports/contraband-arrests-gdc-facilities
- GDC Contraband Interdiction Efforts Yield Close to 8,000 Items Seized | Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections (2016-04-07) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/press-releases/2016-04-07/gdc-contraband-interdiction-efforts-yield-close-8000-items-seized
- GDC joint investigation with the FBI results in Federal Indictments, Georgia Department of Corrections, January 21, 2016, Georgia Department of Corrections (2016-01-21) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/press-releases/2016-01-20/gdc-joint-investigation-fbi-results-federal-indictments
- gdc.georgia.gov: gdc annual fiscal report 2016, Georgia Department of Corrections (2016-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/gdc-annual-fiscal-report/gdc-annual-fiscal-report-2016/download
- Georgia Criminals Operating Scams While In Prison, Forbes by Steve Weisman (2025-09-23) [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20250926141440id_/https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveweisman/2025/09/23/georgia-criminals-operating-scams-while-in-prison/
- Georgia Department of Corrections, press release, August 21, 2024, Georgia Department of Corrections Contributes to Operation Night Drop Success, Georgia Department of Corrections by Georgia Department of Corrections (2024-08-21) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-08-21/georgia-department-corrections-contributes-operation-night-drop-success
- Georgia inmate and associate indicted conspiracy commit wire fraud jury duty scam, U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida (2020-01-01) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/georgia-inmate-and-associate-indicted-conspiracy-commit-wire-fraud-jury-duty-scam
- Georgia inmate sentenced 12 months prison after pleading guilty his role grand jury, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana (2020-01-01) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/georgia-inmate-sentenced-12-months-prison-after-pleading-guilty-his-role-grand-jury
- Georgia inmate sentenced in fraud scheme run from prison | State News | The Brunswick News, The Brunswick News [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20211206064029id_/https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/state_news/georgia-inmate-sentenced-in-fraud-scheme-run-from-prison/article_d54588e6-6711-5c60-ae85-1ba9d537427f.html
- Georgia inmate who stole $11 million from behind bars gets 11-year federal prison sentence, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2026-01-01) [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/he-stole-11-million-now-hell-spend-11-years-in-federal-prison/TNCINPXS6BBARIKE75HRUEWTGI/
- Georgia Man Indicted for Organizing and Operating Interstate Jury Duty Scam Out of His State Prison Cell, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndal/pr/georgia-man-indicted-organizing-and-operating-interstate-jury-duty-scam-out-his-state
- Georgia prison guards convicted in contraband trial (Riverbend), Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 11, 2024, Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2024-10-11) [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://www.ajc.com/news/investigations/three-georgia-prison-guards-sentenced-to-10-years-in-contraband-trial/KO474CFYWNHHBLAIGGMCXEYNGI/
- Georgia Prisoner Pleads Guilty to Phone Scam, U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/georgia-prisoner-pleads-guilty-phone-scam
- Georgia Single Audit Report Fiscal Year 2023, Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts (2023-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://www.audits.ga.gov/ReportSearch/download/31123
- Georgia state prison inmate pleads guilty impersonating federal agent part national, U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington (2020-01-01) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/pr/georgia-state-prison-inmate-pleads-guilty-impersonating-federal-agent-part-national
- Gov. Kemp Unveils Recommendations from System-wide Corrections System Assessment, Office of Governor Brian Kemp, Office of Governor Brian Kemp (2025-01-07) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2025-01-07/gov-kemp-unveils-recommendations-system-wide-corrections-system
- Governor's Budget Report, AFY 2025 and FY 2026, Georgia Office of Planning and Budget (2025-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://opb.georgia.gov/document/governors-budget-reports/afy-2025-and-fy-2026-governors-budget-report/download
- Governor's Budget Report, AFY 2026 and FY 2027, Georgia Office of Planning and Budget (2026-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://opb.georgia.gov/document/governors-budget-reports-current-year/afy-2026-fy-2027-governors-budget-report/download
- How jury-duty phone scam operated from inside Ga. prison, WRDW/WAGT (2026-10-16) [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://www.wrdw.com/2026/10/16/how-jury-duty-phone-scam-operated-inside-ga-prison/
- legis.ga.gov: sumdoc2026 edit, Georgia General Assembly (2026-01-01) [legislation, primary]
  URL: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/legislative-counsel-document-library/sumdoc2026-edit.pdf?sfvrsn=6257533e_2
- List of Designated Correctional Facility Officials (DCFOs) | Federal Communications Commission, Federal Communications Commission (2026-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20260412154425id_/https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/contraband-wireless-devices/list-designated-correctional
- More than 23,000 Contraband Items Confiscated in Calendar Year 2022 | Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections (2023-01-13) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/press-releases/2023-01-13/more-23000-contraband-items-confiscated-calendar-year-2022
- New Technologies Georgia, Georgia Department of Corrections [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/document/fact-sheets/new-technologies-corrections-fact-sheet/download
- Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 42-5-18 (GPS's copy of the Code), Georgia Prisoners' Speak [legal_document, primary]
  URL: https://gps.press/ocga/42-5-18/
- Operation Ghost Guard — FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20260327095203id_/https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/-operation-ghost-guard
- Pair of indictments charge conspiracies to use drones to deliver illegal drugs, contraband cell phones to Georgia prisons, U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of Georgia, August 21, 2024, U.S. Department of Justice, Southern District of Georgia (2024-08-21) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/pair-indictments-charge-conspiracies-use-drones-deliver-illegal-drugs-contraband-cell
- Scams Targeting Families in Georgia | Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections (2026-07-27) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/press-releases/2026-07-27/scams-targeting-families-georgia
- Significant Contraband Recovered | Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections (2023-08-04) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/press-releases/2023-08-04/significant-contraband-recovered
- South Carolina inmate sentenced federal prison role military sextortion scheme, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina (2020-01-01) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/south-carolina-inmate-sentenced-federal-prison-role-military-sextortion-scheme
- South Carolina inmate sentenced federal prison role military sextortion scheme 1, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina (2020-01-01) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/south-carolina-inmate-sentenced-federal-prison-role-military-sextortion-scheme-1
- Testimony of Commissioner Homer Bryson, Federal Communications Commission by Homer Bryson (2016-01-01) [official_report, primary]
  URL: https://web.archive.org/web/20250331135858id_/https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/Pai-Contraband-Bryson.pdf
- Twelve Charged in Scheme That Allowed Georgia Inmates to Sell Drugs and Defraud Consumers Inside Prison, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/twelve-charged-scheme-allowed-georgia-inmates-sell-drugs-and-defraud-consumers-inside
- Two year GDC & FBI investigation results in more than 45 Federal Indictments, Georgia Department of Corrections, February 11, 2016, Georgia Department of Corrections (2016-02-11) [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://gdc.georgia.gov/press-releases/2016-02-10/two-year-gdc-fbi-investigation-results-more-45-federal-indictments
- United States v. ALPHONSUS, 2026-10-16 (court record via CourtListener), CourtListener (2026-10-16) [legal_document, primary]
  URL: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68335560/
- United States v. Nnanwubas, 2024-02-20 (court record via CourtListener), CourtListener (2024-02-20) [legal_document, primary]
  URL: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/68053007/
- US Attorney MDGA: Twelve Indicted in Alleged Drone Smuggling Conspiracy at Ten Prisons, U.S. Department of Justice [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/twelve-indicted-alleged-drone-smuggling-conspiracy-ten-prisons
- USAO MDGA: Former correctional officer sentenced for smuggling cell phones, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/former-correctional-officer-sentenced-smuggling-cell-phones
- USAO MDGA: Former correctional officer sentenced for smuggling contraband, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/former-correctional-officer-sentenced-smuggling-contraband
- USAO MDGA: Georgia inmate sentenced for orchestrating pandemic unemployment fraud scheme from jail, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/georgia-inmate-sentenced-orchestrating-pandemic-unemployment-fraud-scheme-jail
- USAO NDGA: Georgia inmate sentenced for running multi-million-dollar fraud scheme from state prison, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia [press_release, primary]
  URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/pr/georgia-inmate-sentenced-running-multi-million-dollar-fraud-scheme-state-prison
- Valdosta Daily Times: Prison phone law nears passage, Valdosta Daily Times (2023-03-17) [journalism, secondary]
  URL: https://valdostadailytimes.com/2023/03/17/prison-phone-law-nears-passage/