Latest news with #RDAP
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Grand Forks man sentenced to 42 months for illegal firearm possession
May 30—GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks man was sentenced Wednesday, May 28, to 42 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon. Raymond Lee Graham Jr., 38, pleaded guilty to his sole felony charge in January. Graham was originally charged at the state level, where he faced five charges for drug, weapon and similar crimes. He was pulled over and fled from police, who found 1.2 pounds of marijuana, seven grams of marijuana coated in what appeared to be methamphetamine, empty baggies, fake urine and a box of 18 THC vape pens inside his vehicle, according to court documents. Police found a firearm on Graham when he was apprehended. The case, filed in June, 2024, was dismissed a month later after Graham was indicted in federal court. The federal charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon arose because he has a criminal background of attempted robbery, robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the indictment. The crime has a maximum 15-year prison sentence, but Graham was ordered to serve three and a half years. The judge ordered he be placed at a facility that is the lowest security level, as close as possible to North Dakota, and that the facility offers treatment for substance abuse — including the 500-hour Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program (RDAP). The criminal judgment also said Graham should be allowed to participate in any education or vocational opportunities, as well as any mental health treatments deemed appropriate by the Bureau of Prisons. After release from prison, Graham will be on supervised release for three years. Conditions of his release will include abstaining from alcohol and drug use, submitting to screening for substance use and allowing his property to be searched.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Grand Forks man sentenced to 42 months for illegal firearm possession
May 30—GRAND FORKS — A Grand Forks man was sentenced Wednesday, May 28, to 42 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon. Raymond Lee Graham Jr., 38, pleaded guilty to his sole felony charge in January. Graham was originally charged at the state level, where he faced five charges for drug, weapon and similar crimes. He was pulled over and fled from police, who found 1.2 pounds of marijuana, seven grams of marijuana coated in what appeared to be methamphetamine, empty baggies, fake urine and a box of 18 THC vape pens inside his vehicle, according to court documents. Police found a firearm on Graham when he was apprehended. The case, filed in June, 2024, was dismissed a month later after Graham was indicted in federal court. The federal charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon arose because he has a criminal background of attempted robbery, robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the indictment. The crime has a maximum 15-year prison sentence, but Graham was ordered to serve three and a half years. The judge ordered he be placed at a facility that is the lowest security level, as close as possible to North Dakota, and that the facility offers treatment for substance abuse — including the 500-hour Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program (RDAP). The criminal judgment also said Graham should be allowed to participate in any education or vocational opportunities, as well as any mental health treatments deemed appropriate by the Bureau of Prisons. After release from prison, Graham will be on supervised release for three years. Conditions of his release will include abstaining from alcohol and drug use, submitting to screening for substance use and allowing his property to be searched.
Forbes
09-04-2025
- Forbes
Federal Inmates Being Scammed With Halfway House Promises
Family members of prisoners are receiving unsolicited calls requesting money to get their loved one ... More out of prison. Last week, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) issued a deeply disappointing directive that significantly restricts prerelease custody under the Second Chance Act. The new policy, effective April 21, caps halfway house placement at just 60 days for most inmates and 125 days for those completing the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). The sudden change has upended the plans of incarcerated individuals and their families, with many seeing their previously approved release dates rescinded. For some, it means staying in prison until February 2026 instead of going home in March 2025. As word spread, family members and legal advocates quickly mobilized, reaching out to the BOP's Residential Reentry Managers in hopes of salvaging community placement plans. But the chaos opened the door for another, more sinister development. A new scam has emerged preying on families desperate for relief. Calls from a Washington D.C. area code (202) claim that their loved one is now "eligible for immediate compassionate release"—for a fee. The caller says $1,700 is required to cover the cost of an ankle bracelet and electronic monitoring equipment. Curious to understand how the scheme worked, I called the number myself. An automated message answered, identifying the line as 'The Federal Bureau of Prisons Reentry Division Services'—a name designed to sound official. I was then transferred to a man who refused to provide his name but pressed me for details about an inmate. When I gave him a real name, he rattled off information such as the inmate's register number and projected release date—data readily available on As I continued asking questions, he grew suspicious. Abruptly, he declared, 'Your person doesn't qualify for the program,' and hung up. I called back several times, but the line went dead. No one answered again. When a loved one is incarcerated, families are often overwhelmed, emotionally and financially stretched, and susceptible to false hope. One family contacted me in distress, asking whether the call they received was legitimate. They were scrambling to gather the requested funds, desperate for any chance to bring their relative home sooner. I had to give them the difficult truth: the BOP never asks families for money to secure monitoring devices. Compassionate release is granted only by a U.S. District Judge, and only after the inmate formally submits a request to the BOP, which must either approve or deny the motion before it reaches the court. There are no shortcuts—and certainly no legitimate services that require payment in exchange for early release. This latest policy change on halfway house placement is already sowing confusion and disappointment. With nearly 160,000 inmates currently in federal custody—most of whom will eventually return home—the human impact of these decisions is significant. For many families, that return home now feels further away than ever. I contacted the BOP to report details of my conversation with the scammer. The agency acknowledged a similar scam had circulated in 2023, near the end of the CARES Act, when fraudsters also sought money in exchange for promised home confinement due to an alleged shortage of ankle bracelets. In response to the current scam, the BOP issued a renewed statement: 'The FBOP will not contact individuals to request personal information or money.' They encourage anyone who receives such calls to immediately report the incident to the Federal Trade Commission online or by phone at 1-877-382-4357, between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. The timing of the scam—right as hope is being stripped away by BOP policy shifts—makes it all the more damaging. In a moment of deep uncertainty, families should be leaning on facts and verified information, not falling prey to false promises peddled by predators exploiting the cracks in a strained system. There are always opportunities to try to scam someone when they do not have information or promises are made that solve the problem they have. Right now, the BOP has been vocal about the limited capacity issues faced by the Agency and it may take years to correct those problems. There is no short-term fix and the BOP is currently having a difficult time with no real leadership since Director Colette Peters was let go just as Donald Trump was taking office. There are numerous consultants who have information and certainly social media has no shortage of rumors. However, particularly now since the BOP is such turmoil amid the new administration directives, information is scarce. This has created an opportunity for people to take advantage of both the BOP and the families of those incarcerated. It is also difficult when the facts of the current situation do not help those who want their loved ones to be home. It takes very little effort and no sophisticated equipment for a scam like this, just a cell phone, to take hard earned money from a family based on a promise. If anyone has received such a scam, please use the BOP's memorandum as guidance.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Todd Chrisley says prison guards removed his MAGA sticker from jail cell
Todd Chrisley's attorney has claimed that guards at FPC Pensacola removed a MAGA (Make America Great Again) sticker from the disgraced reality star's cell. Chrisley's lawyer Jay Surgent told TMZ on Wednesday that the Chrisley Knows Best star — who is currently serving a 12-year sentence in Florida — that Chrisley is hopeful that President Donald Trump will soon grant him a pardon. 'It will be up to President Trump to review their cases. Todd has faith he will be given due consideration because he feels that he never received constitutional protections in a fair criminal justice system,' Surgent told the publication. According to the outlet, Chrisley's cell is regularly 'shaken down' by prison guards who flip over his mattress and throw his books around. He claimed that a guard had also poured a can of Pepsi over his bed. Although other inmates were allowed to have stickers in their cells, Surgent alleges that only the reality star's sticker was removed. The Independent has reached out to FPC Pensacola for comment. In October, Surgent revealed to The Independent that Chrisley had been fired from his job in prison because of interactions with fellow inmates. Surgent said Chrisley had an administrative role in the prison chapel as an Assistant to the Chaplain, helping with 'the set-up for religious procedures for various religious affiliations that are Christian, Jewish, and Muslim.' However, he lost his job and access to his small office because he 'was speaking with various inmates' who were a part of the prison's Residental Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). According to Surgent, Chrisley 'wasn't even given any reason for' why he was dismissed from the position after two years. Surgent shared his belief that prison officials didn't want Chrisley to be associated with inmates in the RDAP because they 'get to go out into the community during the day and work,' while sleeping at the facility at night. He noted that Chrisley 'has a history of reporting problems that exist in his institution in Pensacola,' which is why the attorney believes that prison officials didn't want him to speak to these inmates. Todd and his wife Julie Chrisley were found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans in 2022. They also were found guilty of tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the IRS, while Julie was convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. Todd is serving his sentence at a minimum security federal prison camp with a release date of June 2032, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Julie is at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky, set to be released in April 2028.
The Independent
06-02-2025
- The Independent
Todd Chrisley says prison guards removed his MAGA sticker from jail cell
Todd Chrisley's attorney has claimed that guards at FPC Pensacola removed a MAGA (Make America Great Again) sticker from the disgraced reality star's cell. Chrisley's lawyer Jay Surgent told TMZ on Wednesday that the Chrisley Knows Best star — who is currently serving a 12-year sentence in Florida — that Chrisley is hopeful that President Donald Trump will soon grant him a pardon. 'It will be up to President Trump to review their cases. Todd has faith he will be given due consideration because he feels that he never received constitutional protections in a fair criminal justice system,' Surgent told the publication. According to the outlet, Chrisley's cell is regularly 'shaken down' by prison guards who flip over his mattress and throw his books around. He claimed that a guard had also poured a can of Pepsi over his bed. Although other inmates were allowed to have stickers in their cells, Surgent alleges that only the reality star's sticker was removed. The Independent has reached out to FPC Pensacola for comment. In October, Surgent revealed to The Independent that Chrisley had been fired from his job in prison because of interactions with fellow inmates. Surgent said Chrisley had an administrative role in the prison chapel as an Assistant to the Chaplain, helping with 'the set-up for religious procedures for various religious affiliations that are Christian, Jewish, and Muslim.' However, he lost his job and access to his small office because he 'was speaking with various inmates' who were a part of the prison's Residental Drug Abuse Program (RDAP). According to Surgent, Chrisley 'wasn't even given any reason for' why he was dismissed from the position after two years. Surgent shared his belief that prison officials didn't want Chrisley to be associated with inmates in the RDAP because they 'get to go out into the community during the day and work,' while sleeping at the facility at night. He noted that Chrisley 'has a history of reporting problems that exist in his institution in Pensacola,' which is why the attorney believes that prison officials didn't want him to speak to these inmates. Todd and his wife Julie Chrisley were found guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans in 2022. They also were found guilty of tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the IRS, while Julie was convicted of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. Todd is serving his sentence at a minimum security federal prison camp with a release date of June 2032, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Julie is at a facility in Lexington, Kentucky, set to be released in April 2028.
