Advertisement 'Tell my sons I was a good man': Sextortion scam led to young Army vet’s death, police say John Dobbins, Carl Smith Jr. charged with blackmail Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Two South Carolina inmates are charged in a sextortion blackmail scheme that led to the death of a 24-year-old Army veteran, authorities announced Friday.Greenville Police Chief Ken Miller said a months-long investigation led to blackmail charges against Lee Correctional inmates John William Dobbins Jr., 59, of North Charleston, and Carl Richard Smith Jr., 43, of Simpsonville.Miller said Dobbins and Smith used a contraband cellphone to operate a dating app scam in which they pretended to be a young woman and eventually exchanged nude pictures. They then pretended to be the parents of the young woman, who they claimed was underage, and threatened criminal charges and demanded money, Miller said. The victims, even innocent, would often pay, the chief said.An investigation called Operation Surprise Party uncovered a sextortion ring in the Carolinas in which inmates used contraband cellphones to target 442 service members from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Authorities said the schemes cost service members more than $560,000.One victim of the scam was Jared Johns, Miller said. He served in the Army and was injured in Afghanistan. The father of two came home to battle post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.The scammers demanded nearly $1,200 from Johns. On Sept. 11, 2018, less than 24 hours after receiving the texts, Johns committed suicide. His twin brother found him.Johns left messages behind, including one on a dry erase board that said: “I’m sorry I’ve messed up. I love you all. This is not what I wanted. Tell my sons I was a good man.”“It was the thought of being arrested,” Johns’ mother, Kathy Bowling. said. “They convinced him he did something wrong.”After some investigating and law enforcement confirmation, Johns' parents later learned at least one inmate from Lee Correctional Facility scammed their son, sending texts from prison.“They never should have been able to reach him,” Bowling said. “I’m angry and you can’t put into words how you feel as a parent.”Johns' father said he wanted people to know his son was a great man, soldier and father.“These prisoners were put in there to protect us from them doing any more crime,” Kevin Johns said. “They are in there still doing crimes and people are still getting hurt.”The Johns pushed for legislation that would encourage state prisons to jam cellphone service.“These jammers are needed now more than ever, because I don’t want another family to have to go through what we went through,” Bowling said.Brian Sterling, with the South Carolina Department of Corrections, was at Friday’s news conference with Miller. He said he wants to see inmates cellphone signals banned. He said the solution is simple: jam signals and use geo-fencing.He said without taking those actions, prisons are “virtually out here, among us.”