The Macon Telegraph
MACON, Ga. — A 26-year-old corrections officer at a privately run state prison in Alamo was arrested earlier this month in an alleged phone scam that tried to dupe people in New Jersey into paying fictitious fines.
Clarinda K. Carter, of Laurens County, a former poultry worker who signed on at Wheeler Correctional Facility last year, was charged with two counts of extortion and two counts of impersonating a law enforcement officer.
According to a statement from the Bergen County (N.J.) Sheriff’s Office, Carter and at least one prisoner -- described in a New York news account as her “inmate boyfriend” -- pretended to be law enforcement officials by phone.
Covian Jamarrith Camp, in his mid 20s and serving a 30-year sentence for cocaine distribution, faces the same charges as Carter. Camp is an inmate at Autry State Prison south of Albany.
According to a published report, one involved inmate’s prison-commissary account had $300,000 in it.
The alleged scam involved the Georgians “using a prepaid cellphone with a ‘201’ area code,” to make it look like they were calling from New Jersey, the statement said.
Unsuspecting victims were told to send money from their accounts to “prepaid debit cards in order to pay a fine in lieu of being arrested for either missing jury duty, or for an outstanding warrant,” the statement said.
Victims in at least 11 other states may have been targeted, and more arrests are expected.
Carter waived extradition and was moved to a New Jersey jail two weeks ago.
The Wheeler County prison is about 30 miles south of Dublin. Carter, according to her Facebook page, began working there in March 2013.
According to public records, she has lived in Swainsboro and Stockbridge but was most recently living on Lassiter Drive in Dublin. Her phone has been disconnected.