LIVINGSTON, Texas – Five inmates at the Polk County Jail are accused of forcing a disabled inmate to hand over personal property, including his debit card, to one of the inmates’ girlfriends, who in turn drained the victim’s account with unauthorized purchases.
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The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says they were made aware on Nov. 11 of the exploitation and physical assault of the disabled inmate by the group of inmates. 14 felony warrants were issued as part of the investigation, which led to the arrest of six individuals, including one who was outside the jail.
According to the sheriff’s office, inmates forced the victim to release personal property, including his debit card linked to his Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and disability funds, to an outside accomplice—one of the inmates’ girlfriends—who was not incarcerated. This woman then drained the account, using the funds to make unauthorized purchases for herself and to place money into the commissary accounts of several inmates within the jail.
The victim was also coerced into providing his PIN number for his commissary account. The sheriff’s office said this was part of a larger scheme to control the disabled inmate’s funds, including access to the jail phone system.
Here are the people arrested in the case and the charges they are facing:
Michael Allen Riggins
Injury to Child/Elderly/Disabled (Felony 3)
Exploitation of Child/Elderly/Disabled (Felony 3)
Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity (Felony 2)
David Clough
Injury to Child/Elderly/Disabled (Felony 3)
Exploitation of Child/Elderly/Disabled (Felony 3)
Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity (Felony 2)
Blake McCreight
Injury to Child/Elderly/Disabled (Felony 3)
Exploitation of Child/Elderly/Disabled (Felony 3)
Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity (Felony 2)
Trevon Mallard
Exploitation of Child/Elderly/Disabled (Felony 3)
Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity (Felony 2)
Kenneth Lamar Lynch
Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity (Felony 2)
Carrie Jo Wilson
Exploitation of Child/Elderly/Disabled (Felony 3)
Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity (Felony 2)
“The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting vulnerable individuals, and this case demonstrates the ongoing efforts to combat financial exploitation, especially of disabled persons within the prison system. These actions not only involved the illegal financial exploitation of a disabled individual but also an organized effort to control commissary funds and access to the jail’s phone system,” the sheriff’s office said.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.