Inmate faces new phone scam counts
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A prison inmate awaiting sentencing on federal charges for turning parish jail cells into bogus business offices was arrested Monday after he admitted to carrying out a similar scam, a Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman reported.
Robert Thompson, also known as John Lawson, is accused of impersonating an East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputy in an attempt to gain personal information from people, said Casey Rayborn Hicks, a Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.
Thompson, 43, of Zachary, called at least seven people last week from a West Baton Rouge Parish Prison phone claiming to be working a case in which their information, or the information of someone close to them, was being used to purchase a vehicle, Hicks said.
When detectives with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office questioned Thompson about the recent calls he allegedly made from West Baton Rouge Parish Prison, Thompson admitted to making them and to impersonating a sheriff’s deputy, Hicks said. His admission followed a series of questions about phone records that tied the fraudulent calls to West Baton Rouge Parish phone lines, she added.
Thompson would ask those he called to verify information such as Social Security, credit card numbers and dates of birth, Hicks said.
At least two people provided the man with such information, she said. Thompson used information he obtained on June 11 to make a $50 payment to BellSouth, Hicks said, adding that detectives do not know what the payment went toward.
Thompson made the alleged phone calls almost two weeks after pleading guilty in a Baton Rouge federal court to conspiracy, fraud and money-laundering charges, Hicks said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey R. Amundson told Chief U.S. District Judge Ralph E. Tyson on May 27 that while serving time at four institutions and enlisting the aid of two prison guards and six other individuals, Thompson was able to gain the personal and financial information of more than 50 people and businesses in the Baton Rouge area.
Thompson used three-way phone calls with people outside the prisons to contact banks and other financial institutions to gain access to other people’s accounts, court records show. He used that money to purchase automobiles, computers and other electronic equipment from stores and dealerships in Louisiana and Mississippi.
“I take full responsibility,” Thompson said in court. “I know it was wrong, and I apologize to all the victims.”
Thompson is scheduled to be booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison today on seven counts of false impersonation of a peace officer, Hicks said.
Additional counts of access device fraud, unauthorized use of an access card and theft are pending the receipt of bank records and information related to the use of one of the victim’s credit cards, Hicks said.
Thompson will not have phone privileges while staying at Parish Prison, she said.
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