Inmate Stole $11 Million in Gold Coin Scheme While in Prison, Officials Say - The New York Times

Contraband cellphones are invaluable to inmates, but successful the hands of Arthur Lee Cofield, who is serving a 14-year condemnation for equipped robbery astatine a Georgia authorities prison, a mobile telephone turned retired to beryllium worthy $11 million, national prosecutors said.

From the situation successful Butts County, astir 45 miles southbound of Atlanta, Mr. Cofield called the Charles Schwab Corporation successful June 2020 and impersonated a billionaire named S.K., who was aboriginal identified arsenic Sidney Kimmel, according to a national indictment.

Mr. Cofield spoke with a institution typical astir opening a checking account. After Mr. Cofield was told helium needed a signifier of recognition and a inferior bill, a co-conspirator texted him a representation of Mr. Kimmel’s driver’s licence and a inferior bill, prosecutors said.

Mr. Cofield was truthful convincing that helium persuaded the financial-services elephantine to transportation $11 cardinal from Mr. Kimmel’s slope relationship to a precious metals trader successful Idaho to bargain 6,106 American Eagle golden coins, prosecutors said.

From there, Mr. Cofield utilized his contraband telephone to prosecute a backstage information institution to instrumentality the coins from Boise, Idaho, to Atlanta connected a chartered plane. After the coins had been delivered, helium contacted the proprietor of a six-bedroom location connected 1.4 wooded acres successful Atlanta and offered $4.4 cardinal for the property.

With the assistance of accomplices, Mr. Cofield paid $720,000 currency arsenic a down outgo and aboriginal the afloat balance, besides successful cash, according to a national indictment filed successful December 2020.

Jose Morales, who was the warden of the portion that housed Mr. Cofield, could not beryllium reached. He told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, which had antecedently reported connected the case, that Mr. Cofield was “a shrewd, intelligent idiosyncratic who could con you retired of millions.”

Mr. Cofield, 31, was charged with respective national counts, including conspiracy to perpetrate slope fraud, aggravated individuality theft, wealth laundering and conspiracy to perpetrate wealth laundering, according to tribunal documents. He has pleaded not guilty. A lawyer for Mr. Cofield, Steve Sadow, declined to remark connected Friday.

Almost 2 years later, national prosecutors and Mr. Sadow person a pressing problem: What to bash with the Atlanta property?

In tribunal documents filed connected Oct. 7, the 2 sides asked a justice for support to merchantability the spot truthful the proceeds could beryllium held until Mr. Cofield’s lawsuit is resolved. The indictment said that Mr. Cofield, if convicted, indispensable forfeit immoderate proceeds helium received arising from his offenses.

In the filing, some parties said the property, which was valued astatine astir $3.5 cardinal successful 2020, is vacant, has been “rapidly deteriorating” and is astatine hazard of losing its fair-market worth due to the fact that it has not been maintained.

The slope relationship that prosecutors said Mr. Cofield stole from belonged to Mr. Kimmel, a 94-year-old manner mogul who has bankrolled box-office hits similar “Moneyball,” “United 93” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” on with quirky flops that were nevertheless critically acclaimed, similar “Lars and the Real Girl,” a emotion communicative featuring a enactment doll.

Some cardinal details astir the strategy stay unclear: Court documents bash not uncover wherefore Mr. Kimmel was targeted. And prosecutors did not accidental successful the indictment however Mr. Cofield — who is besides facing attempted execution charges successful Fulton County, Ga., successful an unrelated lawsuit — was capable to get the phone, which they accidental helium hid successful his situation cell.

A spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Corrections declined an interrogation petition but said successful a connection that the bureau had a “robust plan” for cracking down connected contraband phones.

The spokeswoman, Joan Heath, said that astir 5,600 contraband phones were confiscated successful fiscal twelvemonth 2022, including much than 1,300 since July. Citing information reasons, she did not disclose details of the crackdown but said that “any and each resources available” were being utilized to curb the practice.

“One of those efforts includes conducting shakedowns crossed each of our facilities,” she said, adding that the maneuver had been successful spot for galore years and had not been the effect of Mr. Cofield’s case.

Two co-conspirators, Eldridge Bennett and his daughter, Eliayah Bennett, besides look charges successful transportation with the lawsuit and person pleaded not guilty, according to tribunal documents. Their lawyers did not instantly respond to emails precocious connected Friday.

Mr. Kimmel could not beryllium reached. A spokeswoman for Charles Schwab said that the lawsuit successful the lawsuit had been afloat reimbursed.

“As soon arsenic Schwab was alert of suspected fraudulent activity, we launched an investigation, initiated measures to support the client’s account, and notified the authorities,” the spokeswoman, Tatiana Stead, said successful an email. She declined to remark further due to the fact that of the continuing investigation.

Jack Begg contributed research.