A plan to exploit inmates’ personal information was derailed by investigators at the Catoosa County Detention Center.
According to Catoosa County Sheriff Gary R. Sisk, on Feb. 6, 2024, a detention officer was using a printed housing sheet in the female cell block that inadvertently included inmates’ social security numbers and dates of birth.
Sisk said the officer mistakenly left the sheet behind in the block.
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On Feb. 10, inmates began telling detention officers about the sheet and that an inmate had it.
The cell block was searched but they could not find the sheet.
Inmates were heard on recorded phone calls telling people about a data breach and that they were going to get “paid.”
Sisk said this appeared to be an organized effort to leverage the private information.
On Feb. 12, several inmates were interviewed and told officers that inmate Sarah Howard had the sheet.
When interviewed, Howard said she sent the sheet out with an inmate who was released for “safekeeping.”