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Fifth South Carolina Prisoner Sentenced in “Sextortion” Scams Targeting Military Members
by Chuck Sharman
On April 21, 2023, South Carolina prisoner Dexter Lawrence, 27, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for his role in a “sextortion” scam that targeted U.S. military personnel. Two co-conspirators also previously received federal sentences for money-laundering. …
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More from this issue:
- New York Finding Closed Prisons a Tough Sell, by Chuck Sharman
- Ninth Circuit Says Arizona DOC Policy Cannot Be Used to Censor Prisoner’s Free Expression, by David Reutter
- “Night of Terror” in Indiana Jail Sees Detainees Assaulted by Fellow Prisoners Who Purchased Cell Keys From Guard, by Kevin Bliss
- Minnesota Supreme Court: Prisoner Abused with Overtight Handcuffs Need Only Show Deliberate Indifference, Not Malicious Intent, by Matthew Clarke
- Study Shows COVID-19 Drove Prison Death Rates 50% Higher, by Keith Sanders
- Wellpath Subsidiary Out of Australian Women’s Prison After Indigenous Prisoner’s Death, by Keith Sanders
- Bureau of Justice Statistics Releases Latest First Step Act Data, by Casey Bastian
- “Abdication of Responsibility”: Heads Roll in Tennessee DOC Over Botched Execution Protocols, by Kevin Bliss
- Federal Courts Throw Out Smart Communications’ Mail-Scanning Patent, by Robert Schaeffer
- $775,000 Paid for Mentally Ill California Jail Detainee Who Compulsively Drank Water Until He Died, by Casey Bastian
- Dying for Being Deadbeat Dad in Missouri Jail, by Chuck Sharman
- Report Reveals Extent of Federal Pretrial Detention Crisis, by Casey Bastian
- Eighth Circuit Requires Source-of-Funds Finding Before Allowing BOP to Raid Account of Federal Prisoner in Missouri, by David Reutter
- Arizona Prison Forcibly Induced Labor for Pregnant Prisoners, by Eike Blohm, MD
- Senators Rail at DOJ Failure to Report In-Custody Deaths, by Jayson Hawkins
- $17.675 Million Paid for New Yorker’s Wrongful Conviction, by Jacob Barrett
- Sixth Circuit: “Minimal Findings Necessary” Before Garnishing Funds From Federal Prisoner in Ohio, by Casey Bastian
- Prisoner Health Update: Tuberculosis, by Eike Blohm, MD
- Four Escape Troubled Mississippi Jail After Fifth Circuit Postpones Federal Receivership, by Keith Sanders
- U.S. Prisoner Numbers Slowly Declining, by Edward Lyon
- No Charges for Georgia Guards Who Allegedly Abetted Attack That Left Prisoner Dead, by Keith Sanders
- Condemned Tennessee Prisoner Wins Fight Against Autopsy, by Harold Hempstead
- 70 Months for Former Warden of BOP ‘Rape Club’ in California, by Benjamin Tschirhart
- Seventh Circuit Allows Illinois Prisoner to Prove Administrative Remedy Was “Unavailable” in Double-Celling Complaint, by David Reutter
- Illinois Makes Abortion Care Free for State Prisoners, by Chuck Sharman
- Almost $42,500 Awarded to Illinois Prisoner for Denial of Physical Therapy by Wellpath Nurse, by Casey Bastian
- State Prison Systems Failing to Provide Meaningful Programming, by Casey Bastian
- Eighth Circuit Greenlights Arkansas Execution Protocol, by Jacob Barrett
- Second Circuit Upholds Connecticut Prison Porn Ban, Sets Up Circuit Split Over “Vagueness” Test, by Jacob Barrett
- Louisiana Sheriff Coughs Up $2.75 Million After Falsely Claiming Detainee Died From Accidental Fall, by Jacob Barrett
- Nevada Pays Over $568,000 for Denying Prisoner Cataract Surgery, Ends “One Good Eye” Policy, by Jacob Barrett
- Four Michigan Jail Guards Guilty in Detainee Death, Family Paid $2.4 Million, by Matthew Clarke
- Former Mississippi Sheriff Indicted for Bribery After Allegedly Allowing Detainee Rape at County Jail, by Jordan Arizmendi
- $3,000 Awarded to Ohio Prisoner for Denied Public Records, by David Reutter
- BOP Hits Back Hard After Federal Prisoner in Arizona Brandishes Gun, by Benjamin Tschirhart
- It’s Official: BOP Prisoners on Expanded COVID-19 Home Confinement Staying Put, by Jordan Arizmendi
- Prisoner Counselors STORMING California Prisons to Aid in Addiction Recovery, by Kevin Bliss
- Fifth South Carolina Prisoner Sentenced in “Sextortion” Scams Targeting Military Members, by Chuck Sharman
- Imprisoned Former Head of New York City Jails Guards’ Union Granted Release, by Matthew Clarke
- News in Brief
- Chronic Punishment: The Unmet Health Needs of People in State Prisons, by Leah Wang
- Prisoners Caught in Ukraine War Crossfire, by Chuck Sharman
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Over $3.5 Million Paid to Incontinent Colorado Prisoner Offered Diapers Instead of Dining Priority Pass, by David Reutter
- Sing Sing Prisoners File Suit Against New York State Alleging Vicious Beating by Guards, by Keith Sanders
- No More Naps for Massachusetts Guards, by Eike Blohm, MD
- Eighth Circuit Lets Public Defender Withdraw from BOP Prisoner’s “Frivolous” Appeal, by Matthew Clarke
- Michigan Supreme Court Justice Caves to Criticism, Accepts Resignation of Formerly Incarcerated Clerk, by Kevin Bliss
- Massachusetts Settles One of Three Suits Alleging Retaliation by Prison Guards for Assault on One of Their Own, by Harold Hempstead
- “All Signals Blinking Red” at Federal Prison in West Virginia After DOJ Releases Report on Killing of Mobster “Whitey” Bulger, by Benjamin Tschirhart, Casey Bastian
- Eleventh Circuit Won’t Force Condemned Alabama Prisoner to Die by Method He Didn’t Choose, by David Reutter
- Corizon Bankruptcy Threatens $6.4 Million Award to Family of Michigan Prisoner Whose Five-Day Jail Term Turned Into Death Sentence, by Jacob Barrett
- California Easing Housing Hurdles for Released Prisoners, by Edward Lyon
- Federal Prisoner in Pennsylvania Gets Sentence Reduction After Guard Rapes Her, by Casey Bastian
- Hawaii Guard One of Four Convicted in Smuggling Scheme at Honolulu Prison, by Chuck Sharman
More from Chuck Sharman:
- $30,000 Settlement Reached in Virginia Jail Death That Put Richmond Lockup Under State Oversight, Aug. 1, 2026
- Oregon Reaches $49 Million Settlement with State Prisoners in COVID-19 Class-Action, Aug. 1, 2026
- Ninth Circuit Revives HRDC Challenge to Washington DOC Mail Restrictions, Aug. 1, 2026
- $4.5 Million Paid by Cook County for Detainee Suicide in Chicago Jail, Aug. 1, 2026
- Detroit Pays $5.8 Million to Former State Prisoner Exonerated of Murder After 15 Years, Aug. 1, 2026
- Colorado Pays $245,000 to Muslim Former Prisoner Shaved by Same Guard Who Cost DOC Earlier Settlement with Jewish Prisoner Denied Kosher Meals, Aug. 1, 2026
- $3 Million Settlement Reached with BOP for Attorney’s Fees in Sex Abuse Class-Action from Now-Shuttered California “Rape Club”, Aug. 1, 2026
- $6.35 Million Paid for Ohio Jail Detainee’s Spinal Cord Injury Caused by Guard, Aug. 1, 2026
- Death of Seattle Detainee—Jailed Despite Not Being “Grounded in Reality”—Costs King County $3.5 Million Settlement, Aug. 1, 2026
- $3.25 Million Paid by Georgia After Prisoner Bakes to Death in Outdoor Recreation Cage, Aug. 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- Pennsylvania Supreme Court Announces Theft by Deception Is Not Continuing Offense While Receiving Stolen Property Continues Only Until Defendant Disposes of Stolen Property, Aug. 1, 2026. Bribery/Extortion/Theft, Lack of Evidence, Statutory Construction/Interpretation, Statutes of Limitation and Laches.
- BOP Supervisor in Colorado Indicted for Smuggling Over 400 Vapes, July 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, DOC/BOP misconduct, Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Bribery/Extortion/Theft.
- Rikers Island Captain Nicknamed “Terror of the Tombs” Indicted for Extortion, Wage Theft, July 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Threats by Staff, DOC/BOP misconduct, Bribery/Extortion/Theft, Fraud and Deceit.
- Former Georgia Prison Warden Indicted for Role in Smuggling Scheme, June 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct, Prison/Jail Murders, RICO, Bribery/Extortion/Theft.
- Our Money Is Disappearing Inside ViaPath’s Prison Tablets, June 1, 2026. Contractor Misconduct, Computers, Trust Accounts, Bribery/Extortion/Theft, Global Tel*Link Corp.
- Former Maine Prison Official Will Serve 5 Years in Prison for $2.4 Million Bribe, June 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Bribery/Extortion/Theft.
- Prosecutors Had a Drugs-for-Votes Scheme “Locked Up.” Under Trump, They Were Told Not to Pursue Charges., June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Voting, Prison Gangs, Bribery/Extortion/Theft, Selective Prosecution/Enforcement.
- Former Maine Prison Official Stole $2.4 Million Through Fraudulent Supply Orders, April 1, 2026. Contractor Misconduct, DOC/BOP misconduct, Bribery/Extortion/Theft, Fraud and Deceit.
- U.S. Sentencing Commission Report Breaks Down Federal Contraband Sentences, March 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Mechanical Searches/Scanners, Statistics/Trends, U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Bribery/Extortion/Theft.
- Chicago Pays Exonerated Prisoners $7.5 Million, Bringing Total to $33.75 Million for Wrongful Convictions, Jan. 1, 2026. Wrongful Conviction, Bribery/Extortion/Theft, Fabrication of Evidence, Withholding of Exculpatory Evidence, Withdrawal.

