ATLANTA — A group of Georgia prison inmates, including an imprisoned rapper, were sentenced in Ohio for operating a phone scam from behind bars that targeted registered sex offenders across the country.
Muskingum County prosecutors claim the group used contraband cellphones inside Georgia prisons to impersonate law enforcement officers and threatened victims with arrest if they did not pay up.
The scam netted thousands of dollars before Ohio investigators uncovered it.
Marquis Conner, 43, of Decatur, was the last defendant sentenced in the case.
Conner was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay $9,400 in restitution after pleading guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Judge Kelly Cottrill imposed the sentence following what prosecutors described as Conner’s unapologetic statement blaming victims for being duped.
Emmitt Wells, 29, of Glennville, was sentenced to three years, as was Johnathan Ford, 36, of Valdosta, and Julissa Casanas, 33, of Spring Hill, Florida, who processed payments and was placed on community control for money laundering.
A fourth inmate, Chason Stein, 42, of Stone Mountain, died before being sentenced.
The investigation began when two Ohio men reported being targeted.
Zanesville Detective Sgt. Phil Michel followed phone, financial, and retail records to the Georgia prison system.
Investigators also discovered rap videos allegedly filmed inside the prison, which appeared to show inmates with drugs and contraband phones.
Assistant Prosecutor John Litle stated that the scam was part of a larger fraud scheme that has been operating in Georgia prisons for years.
“It is extremely common for those who target Muskingum County residents for crimes to be shocked that they are caught and brought here for justice,” Litle told the crowd.
According to Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch, the case demonstrates that “justice applies equally to everyone” — even when victims are unpopular.
The Georgia Department of Corrections has long struggled with contraband cellphones, which fuel scams and organized crime within its facilities.
