The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a suspect linked to a jury duty scam that spanned four months. The investigation began after multiple reports of scam calls targeting residents in West Alabama.
In early July, ABC 33/40’s Mary Barron uncovered the scam, where fraudsters impersonated law enforcement officers to inform victims of missed jury duty, pressuring them to pay fines. Barron received one of these scam calls herself, which prompted further investigation.
After a thorough inquiry, the sheriff’s office arrested Christopher Matthews, charging him with nine counts of impersonating a peace officer, one count of second-degree theft of property, and one count of identity theft.
Matthews allegedly scammed one victim out of $1,500. As the investigation progresses, he is currently being held in the Tuscaloosa County jail.