Federal authorities are continuing their search for a Georgia inmate accused of orchestrating an $11 million fraud scheme from behind bars after he escaped from a federal prison camp in south Georgia.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of 34-year-old Arthur Lee Cofield, who walked away from the minimum-security prison camp at the Federal Correctional Institution in Jesup on May 26. Authorities say Cofield should be considered armed and dangerous.
According to federal prosecutors, Cofield was serving an 11-year federal prison sentence after being convicted of conspiracy to commit fraud and aggravated identity theft. Investigators said he used a contraband cellphone while incarcerated in a Georgia prison to gain access to a Charles Schwab account belonging to Hollywood producer Sidney Kimmel and steal approximately $11 million.
Prosecutors said the stolen money was used to purchase more than 6,000 American Gold Eagle coins, which were flown to Georgia on a private aircraft. Authorities also alleged that some of the proceeds were used to purchase a multi-million-dollar home in Atlanta’s Buckhead area.
The FBI says Cofield is approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighs about 210 pounds, and has a tattoo of a dove on the left side of his face and a tomahawk tattoo on the right side of his face. Officials say he has ties to the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Anyone with information regarding Cofield’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the FBI or the U.S. Marshals Service. The search remains ongoing.








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