Prosecutors: 'Inmate taxi service' let prisoners come and go

Published May 23, 2017

Prosecutors say a federal inmate in Atlanta and his fiancée ran an "inmate taxi service," taking inmates around town to restaurants and hotels and returning them to prison in exchange for money.

Prosecutors say 41-year-old Deldrick Jackson and 38-year-old Kelly Bass face charges related to helping the inmates escape.

Paul Cognac, an attorney for Jackson, said Thursday his client pleaded not guilty and he had no other comment. Brian Mendelsohn, an attorney for Bass, said in an email he had no comment.

Authorities say the inmates were taken to places and often returned to prison with contraband, and without other guards knowing they left.

Prosecutors say Bass received about $4,000 from inmates' families or accounts associated with inmates at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/us/prosecutors-inmate-taxi-service-let-prisoners-come-and-go