Georgia Man Arrested For Impersonating Police On Scam Calls

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A Georgia man is behind bars in Tuscaloosa on charges of impersonating a law enforcement officer and theft by deception following a months-long investigation by the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

Click here to subscribe to our free Tuscaloosa Daily newsletter and breaking news alerts

According to court documents obtained by Patch, TCSO Sgt. Josh Hastings said that on Feb. 23, a victim reported that they had been deceived by a caller claiming to be a sergeant with the sheriff's office.

The 11-count indictment alleges that the caller claimed to be Sgt. Willie Davis on numerous occasions and Sgt. Willie Sanders in the call on Feb. 23.

The caller then informed the victim that they had missed a court appearance and needed to pay $1,500 to resolve outstanding warrants. The victim went on to comply with the demand and provided the caller with $1,500 in MoneyPak cards.

Hastings investigated the case and identified the suspect as 31-year-old Christopher Scott Mathews of Leesburg, Georgia.

Hastings says he found evidence that Mathews had contacted additional Tuscaloosa County residents between Feb. 17 and Feb. 22, where he again posed as a deputy and falsely claimed that the recipients had missed court or jury duty and needed to pay money to clear warrants.

Mathews is accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer to eight other individuals during this period and, as a result, additional warrants for impersonating a peace officer are expected to be issued.

Mathews remains in the Tuscaloosa County Jail with his bond set at $15,000.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.