(Image source: Orlando Sentinel)
BY LEXA DECKERT
You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy
Phone calls for cash -- seemed like a good deal for one Florida inmate. Orlando’s Fox affiliate, WOFL reports...
“Listen, this is a great story, central Florida inmate uses a glitch in the jail's phone system to bond himself out of jail. The phone system at lake county reimburses (inmates) for phone calls that don't go through.”
Imagine inmate Larry Stone’s surprise when he checked his inmate account after a call -- expecting $20 to be gone -- but instead had even more money than before he made the call. USA Today reports his next actions...
“Stone, who was arrested in April on property-crime charges, spent the next four hours making 77 local, long-distance and international calls until he had piled up more than $1,250 -- enough to bond out of jail.”
With Stone out -- free of jail on free money -- word got around -- and of course other inmates hurried to the phones. The Orlando Sentinel reports ...
“The jail's technology department noticed a high volume of incomplete calls and alerted detention deputies. Global Tel*Link -- the company that provides the jail's inmate phone system -- charges the cost of a call from inmate trust accounts at a rate of ... $23.68 for international calls.The system was reimbursing inmates twice for incomplete calls...”
Stone had been calling Canada -- getting back $23.68 extra per call. Once authorities figured out the scheme, though, his freedom was cut short. WFTV reports his failure...
“A lake county inmate is back in jail this afternoon after authorities say he bonded out because of a phone glitch... He even walked out with an extra 50 bucks in cash. He turned himself in after officials caught on to the glitch.”
His excursion from jail might not seem worth it now -- ABC News says why...
“He is now being charged with grand theft and scheming with the intent to defraud. These charges are separate from his previous charges and he could possibly be facing additional jail time.”
Even though other inmates had begun the calling scam as well, Stone is the only one who cashed his check -- therefore the only one being charged.
'Like' Newsy on Facebook for updates in your newsfeed.
Get more multisource video news analysis from Newsy.
Transcript by Newsy.
