According to court papers, federal authorities found evidence that a Georgia prisoner impersonated a billionaire movie mogul in a scam that netted him at least $11 million.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on October 7 that Arthur Lee Cofield Jr., 31, ran an operation inside the Georgia Department of Correction's Special Management Unit in which he tricked customer service representatives at Charles Schwab into believing he was a billionaire.
The chairman and CEO of the production company is 94 years old.
According to the court documents, Cofield was able to get $11 million wired to a company in Idaho to purchase 6,106 American Eagle one-ounce gold coins by using illegal cell phones. Court records show that the scheme took place between June 4 and June 16.
He bought a mansion in Georgia worth $4.4 million after moving the coins to Atlanta.
As soon as Charles Schwab was aware of suspected fraudulent activity, he initiated measures to protect the client's account, and notified the authorities.
Steven Sadow, Cofield's lawyer, refused to speak.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a warden at the Special Management Unit said that Cofield could con people out of millions.
Cofield may have had other victims.
According to the court documents, the federal prosecutor said at his bond hearing two years ago that there was evidence suggesting Cofield conducted a similar operation when he stole more than two million dollars from the wife of a Florida billionaire.
Cofield was sentenced to 14 years for armed robbery. He was transferred from Georgia State Prison to Fulton County where he was wanted for orchestrating a shooting that left a man paralyzed.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cofield is charged with attempted murder.
According to the newspaper, Cofield pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Bennett and his daughter Eliayah have both pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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