Victims of inmate phone scam still trying to pick up pieces


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DAVIS COUNTY — The victims of an elaborate phone scheme devised by inmates at the Davis County Jail are dealing with the lasting consequences of the crime.

The scam started about four years ago was still active up until two weeks ago, police said. The basis: inmates had access to people's private information.

Years after he became a victim, John Evens said he was still concerned his information could be vulnerable.


They've spread this around between the inmates. Before they would leave, they let other inmates know how to do the same exact scam. This is just the tip of the iceberg with these guys getting this going.

–Sgt. Kyle Jeffries, Clearfield Police Department


"You almost have to check on a daily basis because it's too scary out there," he said.

A small stack of papers reminds Evens of the work he had to do to clear his name from a debt he never owed.

"Century Link sent me a statement that I owed them $1,385," he said.

That was at the end of 2010.

"I right away went to the police department to see what they could do about it," said Evens.

Turns out, Evens was just one of many victims of an elaborate scheme taking place behind the walls of the Davis County Jail. Police said two former inmates — Michael Rivera and Eric Kamahele — used stolen identities to set up Century Link phone accounts.

They sold the numbers to other inmates, who used them to make collect calls.

"One-hundred dollars a line is what they were charging other inmates," said Sgt. Kyle Jeffries with the Clearfield Police Department.

Police said Rivera and Kamahele had help on the outside — five women, friends and relatives. The men are now serving prison time for other crimes, but their scam — which began in 2009 — is still running rampant in jails across the state.


You almost have to check on a daily basis because it's too scary out there,

–John Evens, scam victim


"They've spread this around between the inmates," said Jeffries. "Before they would leave, they let other inmates know how to do the same exact scam. This is just the tip of the iceberg with these guys getting this going."

So far, that scam has cost Century Link about $200,000, police said. The number of victims could reach a thousand. Many haven't reported it or just paid off the debt on their own.

Evens caught it early, but it took nearly a year to get it sorted out. He said he still worries that his name and social security are vulnerable to thieves.

"How in the world they got a hold of that, I don't know," he said. "As of today, it's still a mystery to me."

Police have yet to determine how the suspects accessed that personal information. They served a search warrant in Rivera's jail cell and found names, birthdays and social security numbers stored on his cell phone.

The case is still under investigation, so more arrests could happen. Police advised the public to check their credit regularly.

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Sandra Yi

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