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Georgia State Correctional Officer Clarinda Carter waived extradition and was brought to the Bergen County Jail on Friday.
The inmate, Covian Camp, remains incarcerated at Autry State Prison in the southern Georgia town of Pelham.
More arrests are expected, Saudino said.
Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino (PHOTO: Mary K. Miraglia, CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter)
The sheriff’s office began investigating after receiving several complaints from Bergen County residents about the scam.
The callers — claiming to be with his department — accuse residents of missing jury duty, saying there’s a warrant for their arrest. They then offer the targeted victims a chance to pay a fine and avoid arrest by providing a credit card number and/or prepaid debit card to pay a fine.
The callers use throwaway cellphones with 201 area codes to make it look like they’re in the area.
Saudino’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), along with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Hackensack Police Department, quickly identified Carter and Camp, the sheriff said.
They were then assisted by the Georgia Department of Corrections, Gwinnett County (GA) Sheriff’s Office, and Laurens County (GA) Sheriff’s Office, he said.
“I applaud the detectives in our BCI unit for their diligence and hard work in tracking down the source of where these fraudulent calls were coming from,” Saudino said.
“These are the first two arrests in a nationwide scam that we believe will lead to many more arrests in the coming months,” the sheriff said.
Carter and Camp are each charged with two counts of theft by extortion and two counts of impersonating a law enforcement officer.
A news conference was scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow on the steps of the Bergen County Courthouse.
“No government agency will tell you to make payments to them through a bank or wire transfer,” Saudino noted.
“All notices regarding jury duty come through the mail, including summonses to report for jury duty, and failure to report for jury duty,” he added. “These notices are mailed directly from the New Jersey Judiciary Jury Management Office and give you specific information on who to contact, and how to comply with the summons.
“If you are being asked for your personal information from an unsolicited phone number, hang up immediately and notify your local authorities,” the sheriff said. “It is incumbent on all residents to be alert.
“And it does not hurt to take the time to verify these incidents with us.” Saudino added.
Anyone who believes they may also have been exposed to this or a similar type fraud is asked to contact either the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office at 201-646-2222, www.bergentip.com, or your local police department.
MUGSHOTS: Courtesy BERGEN COUNTY SHERIFF
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