On September 18, 2025, Richard D. Westphal, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, announced the conviction and sentencing of four individuals connected to an “arrest warrant” scam led and organized out of a Georgia state prison. How the scam worked was:
A co-conspirator would fly a drone over the prison to drop cell phones in the yard, which would be used by inmates to spoof law enforcement numbers and pose as local police.
The inmates would threaten to arrest their victims on the grounds of “failing to appear as an expert witness pursuant to a subpoena” unless they paid a cash bond.
Among the four convicted is the 26-year-old ringleader of the scam operation, Russell Tafron Weatherspoon, who was already in prison for aggravated assault and violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. He was sentenced to nearly 11 years in federal prison, an additional 3 years of supervised release and must also pay restitution to his victims.
Additional co-conspirators sentenced in this scheme include
Karl Andre Dieudonne, a 23-year-old sentenced to 3 years prison + 3 years supervised release + restitution
Demonte Tequis Brazil, a 32-year-old sentenced to 51 months prison + 3 years supervised release + restitution
Gregory Lamar Scorza, a 25-year-old sentenced to 6 years prison + 3 years supervised release + restitution
The news also comes following the convictions of several individuals associated with the scam, including:
Christina Rimes, a 42-year-old money mule from Morven, Georgia who laundered funds to the commissary account for her husband John William Thornton, who was serving a 20-year sentence for statutory rape at the Hancock State Prison.
