Sayre, OK – An investigation by the Beckham County Sheriff’s Office uncovered an attempted fraud scheme involving an inmate inside the Beckham County Jail, according to Sheriff Derek Manning.
Manning said the case was uncovered through the independent investigative work of one detective, who identified suspicious activity and quickly began following leads. What started as a single investigation soon expanded to involve multiple people.
According to the sheriff, the inmate was attempting to bond out of jail with plans to leave the state and evade current charges. The inmate allegedly believed associates in another state would hide him and had assured others involved that they would be paid for their efforts.
The investigation revealed the inmate was encouraging individuals outside the jail to use stolen company checks, forge the business owner’s signature, and use the funds to pay a $5,000 bond. The company owner whose name was forged was also incarcerated at the time.
Investigators intercepted the plan before the bond was completed. The fraudulent check was recovered before being processed, preventing the bail bondsman from suffering a significant financial loss.
As a result of the investigation, authorities obtained warrants and arrested two women believed to be involved in the scheme. At least one confession has been obtained, and investigators say additional details could lead to more charges or arrests.
Manning noted the unusual nature of the case but said it serves as a reminder that criminal activity does not stop simply because someone is in custody.
“This was a complicated set of circumstances,” Manning said, “but good investigative work stopped it before it went any further.”
The case remains under investigation.
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