Sheriff Jay Russell Warns Residents of Jury Duty Scam

Ouachita Sheriff’s investigators are currently investigating an apparent phone scam concerning jury duty.  Ouachita residents have reported receiving a phone call from a person identifying themselves as a Deputy Jay Johnson.  The caller goes on to state that a member of the household called failed to appear in court as summoned.  The caller then advises a warrant has been issued and someone must send in a voucher to pay the fine or the party listed will be arrested.  The caller will then instruct the scam victim to go to a local retail outlet, usually a pharmacy, to purchase a cash card such as a Green Dot Card that will cover the fine amount. The victim may even be told to buy more than one card. The caller then gives instructions on how to pay the fine.

This is a phone scam, one of many similar throughout the country.  The information given to the receiving party is completely false.  Should a resident miss jury duty, attempts are made to locate the person but no calls are made regarding warrants or to collect fines over the phone.  The Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office does not contact residents in any manner such as this asking for cash or vouchers to cover fines, nor do we instruct you in any manner to buy a cash card. The same holds true for other law enforcement agencies.  Should you receive a call of this or a similar nature, please contact the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-329-1200.