Convicts Harassing Veterans Via Cellphone Leads to the Soldier Suicide of Our Board Member’s Son
Cellphone Jamming Looks to End This Deadly Blackmail Scheme
Jared Johns was once a twin brother, once a father, once a great son, and once a soldier. PTSD took his life this past 9/11. He left a message saying it would be best for everyone involved. But that wasn’t the end of his story.
A few months after his memorial service, information came to light that Jarod was the victim of a sexploitation scheme run from inside a South Carolina prison. Inmates got possession of veteran cell phone numbers and began a devious plot to blackmail them from behind bars.
One victim was the son of our February gift family, the Johns. Kevin is now on our Board and we support him in his efforts to get #justiceforjard.
Kevin Johns is Fighting to End This Crime for His Son and Others
From Mr. Johns’ letter to Lindsey Graham posted on his Facebook page:
Mr. Graham, we are writing you in support of your joint legislation, with Sen. Tom Cotton, on cellphone jamming in state prisons. Our son Jared R. Johns, an army veteran, was a victim of a sex-tortion scheme carried out by prisoners in Lee correctional institution in Lee county, SC.
Jarod received several phone calls, from different numbers, trying to extort money from him. He was bullied into taking his own life on September 11th 2018, out of fear, because they had convinced him he received an illicit picture from a 17 year old girl.
Greenville city police, along with the Army criminal investigation division are currently working a case against the prisoners responsible for trying to extort, not only my son, but hundreds, if not thousands, of veterans and active duty soldiers.
My family and I have been very vocal about the atrocities carried out by inmates with cellphones from inside our state prisons. We now live in fear of retaliation from the same criminals that nearly killed Robert Johnson, a former South Carolina corrections officer in a hit orchestrated by an inmate using an illegal phone. These prisoners have got to be stopped. The South Carolina corrections department has spent more than $8 million installing golf course-like netting around 8 high security prisons after gangs fought over cellphones in April 2018 and left 7 inmates dead.
Our son was killed several months after these nets were installed and contraband sweeps were made. These phones are being brought in by visitors, correction officers and prison workers. The only way to truly stop the use of cellphones in prisons, is to make them inoperable. We thank you for proposing this bill and look forward in its passing.
Signed,
Kevin Johns and Kathy Payne Bowling, the parents of Spc. Jared Johns
What You Can Do
Please help our family by contacting your US Congressman and Senators and tell them you want #justiceforjared by them supporting The Cellphone Jamming Reform Act.
Lindsey Graham
Washington Office
290 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5972
https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm…
Tim Scott
Washington Office
167 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-6121
https://www.scott.senate.gov/contact/email-me
Jeff Duncan
Washington Office
116 Cannon HOB, Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5301
https://jeffduncan.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
William Timmons
Washington Office
313 Cannon HOB, Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6030
https://timmons.house.gov/contact/email-me
ABOUT ONCE A SOLDIER
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I’m truly sorry for your loss. I’ve seen your story twice on ID. Told my husband about the story and what touched my heart and his the most was at the end was how his son said his dad was flying around the moon.😪. My husband was also a vet as a Navy IDC Corpsman and served 20 years. And worked a few years at a pharmacy on a base where we retired at. He had to quit due to a bad back and several back surgery’s and injections. And now partial dementia. It comes with the territory with getting older I guess. But I’m so glad I saw this again and wondered if a bill had ever been passed and wanted to check. I was disappointed that it has not as of yet. You’d think it would since a horrible crime as thrice had been committed IN THE PRISON IT SELF!! A they have done NOTHING about it. I’m appalled!!!!! As air can’t imagine how your family is feeling still waiting? This should have been passed right away. I know the anniversary is coming up, and I know there are so many people don’t even think about what happened on Sept 11, anymore, but we still do. I guess because we are true American Patriots, but we won’t be just thinking about 911 on Sept 11 this year, well be thinking about your son, and celebrating his life, and your family and doing something good on trying to get this wonderful bill passed and we will do the same on writing to add our names and telling as many people we can about your story we can to ask them to do the same. Hopefully this bill will be passed. I just hope to god this isn’t being delayed because the jailers are in on it with the prisoners. I’m mean the cops get a share of the money the inmates get? There are crooked cops everywhere and that is possibly holding up everything? Good luck to your family and peace be with you. Beatrice Byrne.
Hello Beatrice,
Thank you for your comments. No, this legislation is still up in the air. I know that Kevin Johns, who is on our Board, is still fighting for this to get done, and he will be happy to know that you are thinking of Jared this 9/11.
Thank you Beatrice for your kind words. I am Jared’s mom. We are currently waiting on John Dobbins trial date to be set. The other prisoner, Carl Smith, pled guilty last may and is going to testify against Dobbins in the upcoming trial in exchange for his sentence not being prolonged. We are hopeful that Dobbins will be found guilty and that he will be sent back to prison. As for the bill that we need passed, we haven’t gotten anywhere with that. It’s absolutely maddening. We do have a #justice4jared facebook page set up if you would like to join it. I keep it updated with everything happening.