Ricardo Poole Sr., Aggravated Identity Theft, Alabama 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A brazen scheme orchestrated from within Alabama prisons has landed eight individuals in federal court, accused of a nationwide fraud targeting Home Depot and a concurrent drug trafficking operation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced last week a twelve-count indictment detailing a sophisticated scam that leveraged phone spoofing and social engineering to pilfer gift cards from the retail giant.

The ringleader, Ricardo Poole Sr., 48, of Bessemer, is facing the most serious charges, alongside Kortney Jovan Simon, 43, of Harvest, and Terry Ray Bradshaw, 39, of Remlap. They are accused of aggravated identity theft – a charge carrying a mandatory two-year prison sentence on top of any other penalties. Otis Lee Bowers, 44, of Bessemer, Rennita Renee Perry, 28, of Bessemer, Kiara Reshell Anderson, 30, of Bessemer, and Ricardo Poole, Jr., 25, of Birmingham, and Rhonda Thompson Poole, 47, of Bessemer complete the list of the indicted.

According to the indictment, between September 2020 and May 2022, the group systematically defrauded Home Depot stores across the country. Bradshaw, while incarcerated at Donaldson Correctional Facility, allegedly used spoofing technology to disguise his calls as coming from Home Depot executives. He then manipulated employees into activating gift cards under false pretenses. The fraudulently obtained gift cards were then used by Poole Sr., Simon, and Bowers to purchase merchandise, which was later converted to cash by co-conspirators.

But the scam wasn’t the only criminal activity. From September 2020 through August 2022, Poole Sr., Bowers, Perry, and Anderson allegedly ran a parallel operation – a conspiracy to distribute a cocktail of dangerous drugs, including methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, and synthetic cathinones. The indictment paints a picture of a deeply embedded criminal network operating with impunity from behind bars.

All eight defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Each of these charges carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Fraud Task Force led the investigation, with assistance from the Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and John M. Hundscheid are prosecuting the case.

It’s crucial to remember that an indictment is not a conviction. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, the scope and brazenness of this alleged scheme – operating from inside a prison while simultaneously trafficking drugs – raises serious questions about security protocols and the vulnerabilities of major retailers to sophisticated fraud schemes. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it unfolds.

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