A Chatham man who portrayed himself as a millionaire while he was an inmate has pleaded guilty to mail fraud Tuesday.
Stanley Tatum was sentenced to 41 months of federal prison on one count of mail fraud.
“Mr. Tatum was able to defraud numerous people and businesses from the isolation of state prison,” U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy wrote in a news release. “His long-running scheme has justly earned him to a lengthy stay in a more restrictive environment in federal prison.”
According to the prosecution, Tatum, 59, was serving time at the Green Rock Correctional Center in 2008 when he portrayed himself as a millionaire. He did so over the phone, through the mail, and on personal visits. Tatum is also accused of convincing people to mail him money, persuading a car dealer to release a new vehicle for a friend, and getting Geico to create eight insurance policies for other vehicles.
Tatum’s scheme resulted in the loss of about $33,211, according to the U.S. Attorney.
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A former Virginia prison inmate is going to court to be sentenced for impersonating a millionaire behind bars.
Stanley Paul Tatum of Chatham is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday morning in U.S. District Court in Danville.
Tatum had pleaded guilty last May to one count of mail fraud.
Federal prosecutors say the 58-year-old Tatum portrayed himself as a millionaire in phone calls, by mail and in personal visits while he was imprisoned at Green Rock Correctional Center in 2008.
Tatum persuaded people to send him money and got a car dealer to release a new vehicle to one of his friends. He also persuaded Geico to create insurance policies for several other vehicles.
The government says the victims lost a little over $33,000.
