Alleged Imposter Takes Money to Get Out of Tulsa County Jail

Tulsa County deputies are investigating a man accused of being an imposter, claiming to help those who are already desperate to find their way through the maze of the legal system.

Deputies say this man called a woman and offered to get her son out of jail, get him a place to live, a job and some treatment - all for a fee, of course.

She gave him $300, but when he asked for more, she became suspicious.

The Court Services office is located in the basement of the Tulsa County courthouse. They help people who can't get out of jail for financial reasons and get those people access to a number of services, like jobs, a place to stay, and medical treatment.

"The people we help are indigent; we would never ask anybody for money," said Court Services director, Sherri Carrier.

Willie Payden, Jr. does not work for Court Services, yet a woman says that is exactly what he claimed when he offered to help her son for $300.

"He said he was with New Day," Carrier said. "Our organization started in 1963 and was called New Day. It changed in the eighties to Pretrial Release and in 2001, the name changed to Court Services. We haven't been called New Day in a long time, but people still refer to us as New Day."

Not only does Payden not work with Court Services, records show he was actually in jail with the woman's son and that's how he chose her.

Records show he has spent time in prison for drugs and weapons and there is currently a warrant out for his arrest, since he was busted just a few months ago for having drugs too close to a school.

Families are already stressed when a loved one gets arrested, they don't need the added worry of being scammed, too.

"This, to me, is pretty low," said Carrier. "To take advantage of someone trying to help a family member and misrepresent an agency that really does a lot of good work, that's pretty low."

To reach the real Court Services office you can call (918) 596-5795 or (918) 596-4950.