Georgia Inmate Charged with Crypto Jury Duty Scam

A Georgia inmate used a smuggled phone to orchestrate a crypto ATM scam that netted him $5,600.

The scammer called an elderly resident in Marion County, pretending to be from the sheriff's office and claiming he missed jury duty. The victim was told to pay a fine via a crypto ATM.

Detectives linked the funds to Patrick Marquelle Turner, who is charged with grand theft, money laundering, defrauding someone over 65, impersonating an officer, and using a communication device to commit a felony.

The scam has raised concerns that inmates in Georgia prisons may be running a network of impersonation scams, with accomplices outside the walls collecting and laundering cash via cryptocurrency. At least three others have been charged in similar cases in Florida.