Augusta Woman Pleads Guilty to Credit Card Fraud Conspiracy and Aggravated Identity Theft‏

Edmund A. Booth, Jr., United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced that Vickie Parks Sheppard, age 50, of Augusta, Georgia, entered a plea of guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Augusta, Georgia to one count of conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371, 1028(f), 1029(b)(2), and 1028A(a)(1).

Booth stated that evidence at the guilty plea hearing showed that Sheppard conspired with her co-defendant, Glenn Love II, age 36, of Augusta, Georgia, who previously pleaded guilty to these charges on March 31, 2009, to fraudulently obtain identity and financial information from more than 50 victims, mainly elderly females, by posing as fraud investigators for a credit card company during telephone calls. The evidence also showed that Sheppard committed aggravated identity theft when she used one of the victims’ identity information while making over $1,000 in unauthorized purchases with that victim’s credit card number. The evidence also showed that Sheppard conspired with Love to possess an identification card printer and a document scanner which were connected to a laptop computer which contained images of Social Security cards, a U.S. Department of Defense identification card, and drivers licenses from Georgia, Florida, and Texas.

Booth noted that Sheppard and Love face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge. Sheppard and Love also face a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years imprisonment for aggravated identity theft which must be served after any prison sentence for their conspiracy convictions. After completion of a presentence investigation and report, a sentencing date will be set.

Booth praised the joint efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Richmond County Sheriff’s Office which led to the indictment. The government is represented in this case by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Stewart.

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The GEO Group Announces Opening of 192-Bed Expansion of 576-Bed Robert A. Deyton Detention Facility in Georgia

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) (“GEO”) announced today the opening of a 192-bed expansion of the 576-bed Robert A. Deyton Detention Facility (the “Facility”) in Lovejoy, Georgia. GEO manages the Facility under a 20-year contract, inclusive of three five-year option periods, with the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee. GEO leases the Facility from the County under a 20-year agreement, with two five-year renewal options. The Facility houses detainees under custody of the United States Marshals Service.

GEO expects to complete the intake of 192 detainees in the first quarter of 2009. At the current 576-bed occupancy level, the Facility generates approximately $16.0 million in annual operating revenues. GEO expects the 192-bed expansion to generate approximately $4.0 million in additional annual operating revenues.

George C. Zoley, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of GEO, said, “We are looking forward to the successful ramp-up of this important expansion. The Robert A. Deyton Detention Facility plays a critical role in helping meet the demand for Federal bed-space as a regional detention center in the southeastern United States. We look forward to building on our partnership with the Office of the Federal Detention Trustee, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Clayton County, Georgia.”

The GEO Group, Inc. ("GEO") is a world leader in the delivery of correctional, detention, and residential treatment services to federal, state, and local government agencies around the globe. GEO offers a turnkey approach that includes design, construction, financing, and operations. GEO represents government clients in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. GEO’s worldwide operations include the management and/or ownership of 62 correctional and residential treatment facilities with a total design capacity of approximately 60,000 beds, including projects under development.

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events and future performance of GEO that involve risks and uncertainties that could materially affect actual results, including statements regarding estimated earnings, revenues and costs and our ability to maintain growth and strengthen contract relationships. Factors that could cause actual results to vary from current expectations and forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to: (1) GEO's ability to successfully pursue further growth and continue to enhance shareholder value; (2) GEO's ability to access the capital markets in the future on satisfactory terms or at all; (3) risks associated with GEO's ability to control operating costs associated with contract start-ups; (4) GEO's ability to timely open facilities as planned, profitably manage such facilities and successfully integrate such facilities into GEO's operations without substantial costs; (5) GEO's ability to win management contracts for which it has submitted proposals and to retain existing management contracts; (6) GEO's ability to obtain future financing on acceptable terms; (7) GEO's ability to sustain company- wide occupancy rates at its facilities; and (8) other factors contained in GEO's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including the forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports.

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