LAKE COUNTY, Fla.,None — Inmates in Lake County found out a way to make money off a phone glitch, investigators told WFTV on Thursday.
Deputies said one inmate made so much that he was able to bond out of jail and walk out with an extra $50. However, he didn't get much time to enjoy that money or his freedom.
The more than 900 inmates in the Lake County Detention Center all have one obvious thing in common.
"Everyone is in here because they broke the law in some fashion. Once they discovered this, word began to spread pretty quickly and this is how it ended up," said Lt. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said Larry Stone figured out a way to illegally raise his bail money. If an inmate has any cash in his jail bank account, he can use it to make a call. The cost of a call is deducted from the account up front and is also automatically refunded if the call doesn't go through. But a few weeks back, the system was crediting double the amount for every incomplete phone call.
"He realized there was a glitch in the software system and continued to do so. And he checked his balance and his account continued to grow. So that's how he figured it out," said Herrell.
Investigators said in one day, Stone made six dozen hang-up calls to Canada, swelling his jail house account to more than $1,200, which was enough to bond out. The Lake County Sheriff's Office's IT department discovered the problem and Stone was rearrested the next day.
Deputies said Kevin Tomlinson tried the same thing. He was in the process of paying his bond when jail officials caught on and kept him locked up.
Over 250 inmates tried to make a quick buck, deputies said.
"Whoever discovered it initially, they got the word out there. It spread quickly, and there were a lot of people jumping on the bandwagon trying it," Herrell said.
Officials said county taxpayers did not lose any money because none of the inmates pocketed a dime.
The contract with the private company that runs the phone system expires next month. The Lake County Sheriff's Office said it is giving it a second look.
WFTV
