United States of America v. Lance Riddle, aka “C-Port"

Albany, Georgia, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1349, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1956.

Lance DAvid Riddle, aka "C-port,"

The 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. Agents discovered that inmates at Calhoun State Prison, including Joey Amour Jackson, aka “Apes---,” and Lance David Riddle, aka "C-port," , were using contraband cellular telephones and advanced electronic techniques such as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to contact victims from a number that mirrored the numbers of their local police departments.

The victims were told they had one or more warrants for their arrest due to missing jury duty. The defendants, posing as police officers, informed the victims that the warrants would be cleared through payment of a bond over the phone and, if not paid, the victims would immediately be arrested. The victims were also informed they were under a “gag” order and couldn’t speak about their warrants until the bond was paid, or they would be immediately arrested. The victims were almost always instructed to buy gift cards and read the numbers off the back of the cards to the defendants, although they sometimes made wire transfers. After paying the bond, victims were instructed to drive to their local police department to verify their signature on the bond.

Some 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. Some victims subsequently received lewd and sexually explicit messages, including violent threats. The scheme primarily targeted female professionals with prominent online profiles, though a small number of male victims were also identified.

The inmates impersonated both fictitious individuals and real law enforcement officers from the victims’ local jurisdictions. They worked with co-conspirators outside prison who managed the group’s financial accounts. The stolen proceeds were used to pay off personal debts such as house and vehicle loans, as well as to purchase drugs. 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 as many cases go unreported, are not fully investigated, or are concealed by victims who are too embarrassed to come forward.

Riddle was found guilty and was sentenced to 120 months in prison.