Dumb Criminals

Crank Caller Gets Cranked

December 30, 2006 @ 3:51 pm · Filed under Other

images18.jpgWhat happens when a guy prank calls the Knoville Fire Department 15 times in a row from his cell phone? The firefighters hold a little episode of “Crank Yankers” of their own.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Knoxville Fire Department investigators used a ruse of their own to nab a man suspected of making a series of bogus emergency calls on his cell phone.

After receiving a false report of a gas leak on Dec. 14, firefighters compared notes.

They confirmed 15 fake 911 calls over a two-month period, including four house fires, six car crashes and various other medical emergencies. All came from the same cell phone.

So they called the number and left a message saying the phone’s owner had won a gift card from a major retailer, Fire Capt. Brent Seymour said.

The ironically named suspect Jason Harms got busted because he made all the prank calls from the same cell phone, and police dispatchers have these new fangled machines that can track telephone numbers. Thanks to Mr. Harms, they are now working on technology to will help dispatchers determine if the person on the phone is a total tool.

The man called back and gave the fire department his address so he could get his gift card. They met in a parking lot and he was promptly arrested. His first words, according to the story, were “You can’t prove it.” A general sessions judge had a difference of opinion.

He sent 15 counts of felony false reports against him to a grand jury. Upon arrest, he also lost his right to make a phone call.



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8 Comments »

  1. Megan Said,

    February 6, 2007 @ 2:47 pm

    you would think some people would have the sense if they were going to prank call the same place more than once to use a different phone. nope. i think some people are born ridiculous.

  2. Jon Said,

    March 8, 2007 @ 11:19 am

    When I get done reading all the stories on this site, nothing will come as a suprise lol

  3. Jack Said,

    April 26, 2007 @ 4:54 pm

    Most crooks with an ounce of intelligence, would use a payphone or any where that isn’t so easy to trace who the caller is. The lesser intelligent may use a house phone. At least there is usually more the one person that lives in a house or the result of a frequent visitor. But alas, this guy, not only uses a cell phone, but it is most likely registered under his name or one other person who could name him anyways to save their own behind. Cell phones have a caller ID on it that at least lists the phone number calling it. I wonder if he stopped to think that if technology gave him the ability to see other people’s number when calling his cell phone, that wow, this majestic technology could benefit other people too?

  4. Caitlin Hoferichter Said,

    May 24, 2007 @ 4:42 am

    Personally I think the whole situation is just stupid! Who has nothing better to do with their time than make prank calls? And seriously, if your logic aint there in the first place to call off your cell phone, when you get a call back saying you won something you didnt even enter a competition for, put the phone down. Its a telemarketer. Nothing in life is for free!

  5. opp Said,

    June 5, 2007 @ 10:49 am

    WTF what a F**king moron!!!!!!!!!!!!

  6. Jen Said,

    November 4, 2007 @ 8:55 pm

    The only people I know that make prank phone calls are my 13 year old cousin and her friends. Kids always do dumb stuff when they are bored and they only ever prank their other friends and/or family members, and occasionally they’ll just prank random numbers from the phone book. But they are smart enough not to prank 911 or the police or fire station. That is the dumbest thing you can do. God!

  7. sarah philip Said,

    February 4, 2008 @ 2:46 pm

    hey could the person in charge put some valuable infomation and not crap cause its quite annoying to read shit especially when doing constructive research.

  8. veronica Said,

    April 10, 2008 @ 10:53 am

    constructive research on what how to dumb yourself down

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