One of many South Carolina inmates who federal authorities say posed as a younger girls on relationship apps, and collectively extorted a whole lot of 1000’s of dollars from service members, was sentenced to just about 4 years in federal jail.
Jimmy Dunbar, 37, of Bishopville, who’s serving a 30-year sentence at Lee Correctional Establishment for homicide, kidnapping and armed theft, will serve 46 months in federal custody following his present sentence, in accordance with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for South Carolina. Dunbar was discovered responsible on federal costs of extortion, cash laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He might have been sentenced as much as 20 years.
Dunbar posed as a number of younger girls on a relationship web site and exchanged messages with authorities workers, authorities mentioned. Those that had been focused belonged to each department of the navy, besides the Coast Guard.
After Dunbar would ship the service members nude images he discovered on-line, he would request them in return. Then the inmate would name the service members posing as a livid father. The younger girl they had been exchanging nude photographs with, he would inform them, was a juvenile — not an 18- or 19-year-old, as claimed on the app, authorities mentioned.
Dunbar would then threaten to report them for being in possession of kid pornography except they paid up massive sums of cash through wire transfers, prosecutors mentioned.
Between September 2016 and January 2017, Dunbar personally obtained $29,598 in hush cash from no less than 17 folks.
Federal investigators in August mentioned 5 South Carolina inmates and 9 others throughout the state, plus one in Charlotte, had been charged in connection to what they dubbed a “sextortion ring.”
Two girls, each 29, pleaded responsible Wednesday to federal costs related to the scheme, the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned.
Andreika Mouzon of Kingstree pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and cash laundering, prosecutors mentioned. Flossie Brockington of Columbia pleaded responsible to cash laundering.
Proof reveals that Mouzon and Brockington acted as “cash mules,” receiving extorted cash through wire switch, then sending the cash to inmates and associates, prosecutors mentioned.
“Through the course of the conspiracy, Mouzon was accountable for transferring $20,421.73 of extorted funds from no less than 11 service members, and Brockington was accountable for transferring $14,465 of extorted funds from no less than eight service members,” prosecutors mentioned.
Mouzon and Brockington each face most jail phrases of 20 years and fines of $250,000, prosecutors mentioned. Sentencing is pending.
Attain Michael Majchrowicz at 843-937-5591. Comply with him on Twitter @mjmajchrowicz.
