DOUGLAS, GA – Vincent Plumb, 56, of Sarasota, Florida, is trading sunshine for stripes after being sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for masterminding a brazen debt collection scam that preyed on vulnerable citizens. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa G. Wood handed down the sentence after Plumb pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
The scheme, run through Plumb’s company Crown Oaks Media in Douglas, Georgia, involved employees cold-calling victims and aggressively demanding payment for debts that simply didn’t exist. These weren’t just annoying robocalls; Plumb’s operation threatened victims with legal action over fabricated payday loan and credit card debts, a calculated attempt to intimidate and extract money. The con artists used written scripts to deliver their lies.
The whole rotten operation came crashing down thanks to whistleblowers *within* Crown Oaks Media itself. Employees, disgusted by the predatory tactics, alerted authorities in January 2016, triggering a full investigation. Plumb was indicted in 2018 and ultimately pleaded guilty in December of the same year. He isn’t the only one facing consequences; three co-conspirators, including his own son, Alex Plumb, have already been sentenced for their roles in the scheme.
“Most junk telephone calls are merely annoying and inconvenient, but these scam calls cheated vulnerable people out of their hard-earned money to line the pockets of greedy crooks,” stated Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “Vincent Plumb will find his telephone privileges are significantly limited from inside federal prison.” The court has also ordered Plumb and his cohorts to forfeit assets totaling $130,523.13, which will be used to provide restitution to the more than 200 victims they defrauded. Plumb will also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.
The U.S. Secret Service, leading the investigation alongside the IRS Criminal Investigation, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus Cyber Forensics Department, emphasized the importance of reporting such schemes. “This case was initiated by the U.S. Secret Service when one good citizen saw behavior that they deemed reprehensible by their fellow coworkers,” said Glen M. Kessler, Resident Agent in Charge of the Savannah Resident Office. “When defendants like Vincent Plumb choose to victimize the elderly and veterans of our country, more citizens should step up and alert law enforcement to assist in closing these fraudulent telemarketing operations.”
IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Holloman, III, added, “This sentencing further shows that IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to identifying and prosecuting those who try to take advantage of our most vulnerable citizens. People who create elaborate schemes that have no purpose other than to mislead others run the very high risk of prosecution.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcela C. Mateo and the Asset Recovery Unit handled the prosecution for the United States.
Related Federal Cases
- Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Identity Theft & Bank Fraud Scheme · Georgia
- SouthernCare Inc, Hospice Fraudulent Claims, Birmingham AL, 2023 · Georgia
- Philip Vincent, Crack Cocaine Possession with Intent to Distribute,… · Indiana
- Anthony Jermaine Robinson, Bank Fraud, Georgia 2024 · Georgia
- Vivek Ramaswamy Rejects VP Offer, Focusing on Presidential Ambition… · Georgia
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News