Inmates also used jail phones to target personal bank accounts
Recording have uncovered a significant scheme orchestrated by dozens of inmates at Cook County Jail to exploit federal relief programs amidst the onset of the pandemic. These revelations shed light on an extensive investigation initiated by Cook County sheriff’s officials in 2020, highlighting inmates’ utilization of jail phones to strategize various financial frauds, particularly targeting state unemployment insurance programs and federal relief initiatives.
Despite months of elaborate planning, none of the inmates faced charges in connection to the schemes, as revealed by Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart’s office. In response to a lawsuit filed by the Sun-Times, the sheriff’s office disclosed hundreds of pages of investigators’ notes regarding recorded calls hinting at inmates’ involvement in financial crimes.
Privacy concerns led to the redaction of detainees’ names and their counterparts from the conversation transcripts. Moreover, the FBI’s active investigation, in collaboration with the U.S. attorney’s office, prompted the denial of a public records request by the sheriff’s office, citing potential interference.