ATLANTA - Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker announced that DeKalb Superior Court Chief Judge Robert J. Castellani today sentenced Gerrardus R. Sims pursuant to a negotiated plea on nine felony counts and one misdemeanor count of theft by taking. Sims received a sentence of ten years imprisonment with four years to serve and is required to pay restitution in the amount of $7,665.

Sims, through a telemarketing scheme, telephoned over fifty persons over the age of 60, telling them that they had won large cash prizes. In order to collect, Sims told these victims to send money ranging from a few hundred dollars to a thousand dollars to cover fees and costs before the cash prizes could be sent. No prizes were ever awarded.

The case was developed and investigated by Monty Mohr of the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs. Assistant Attorney General David S. McLaughlin prosecuted the case, with the cooperation and assistance of DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan and Assistant District Attorney Jeanne Canavan.