By: Associated Press//April 14, 2011//
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted two Wisconsin men in a pay phone scheme that prosecutors say netted the defendants more than $1 million.
The U.S. Attorney’s office says 48-year-old Colin Nordstrom, of Coon Valley, and 53-year-old Jeff Frost, of Brookfield, programmed pay phones they owned to automatically dial toll-free numbers every day. Toll-free subscribers pay about 50 cents to the pay phone owner for every toll-free call.
The La Crosse Tribune reports prosecutors say the men made $1.2 million from their pay phones from 2004 to 2007. They’re charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, among other counts.
Nordstrom told The Associated Press Thursday he was interviewed by prosecutors, but thought he was offering information about others involved. Nordstrom says he was told he would not need immunity. A phone number for Frost has been disconnected.
Information from: La Crosse Tribune, http://www.lacrossetribune.com