Job Scam: Camp & Biddle Sentenced to 9 Years (Absent)

LOS ANGELES – Justice, even when delivered in absentia, has come for Lisa Kay Camp, 61, and Barry Lee Biddle, 48, architects of a cold-hearted $2.1 million telemarketing scheme that preyed on the hopes of over 4,000 job seekers. Both were sentenced today to 108 months – nine years – in federal prison, but remain on the run after skipping bail in 2020.

U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson didn’t let their flight from justice soften the blow, also ordering Camp and Biddle to jointly pay $2,181,316 in restitution to the victims they swindled. That restitution will be shared with three previously sentenced co-conspirators – Camp’s own children, who also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

For four years, from May 2009 to July 2013, the pair operated a fraudulent business under a rotating cast of fake names: “Contractor Management,” “Commercial Crews,” “US Tradepros,” and “IPower Marketing.” They used aggressive auto-dialers and deceptive websites to reel in desperate job applicants, then fleeced them with bogus fees for background checks that were never run and non-existent job leads. It was a systematic exploitation of people at their most vulnerable.

Camp, the ringleader, controlled a network of nearly two dozen bank accounts, meticulously crafted to project an illusion of legitimacy while funneling the stolen money. Biddle served as the tech guy, setting up and maintaining the computer systems, phone lines, and websites that powered the scam. The operation wasn’t just fraudulent; it was surprisingly sophisticated, designed to maximize profit and minimize the risk of immediate detection.

The damage is staggering: approximately $2,181,316 lost by at least 4,183 victims. Camp’s children, who aided in the scheme, have already begun serving their own sentences: Andrea Maureen Aviles, 41, of Lake Elsinore, received 18 months; Gerald James Camp, 42, also of Lake Elsinore, got one year and one day; and Allisa Lynn Vasquez, 39, of Sun City, was sentenced to 18 months. Family loyalty clearly didn’t extend to ethical behavior.

The FBI spearheaded the investigation, with Assistant United States Attorney Julius J. Nam leading the prosecution. Now, the focus shifts to finding Camp and Biddle. Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565 or the United States Marshals Service at 1-877-WANTED-2 or (877) 926-8332. These two con artists may be enjoying temporary freedom, but they will eventually face the consequences of their actions.