Jackson, MS?A Washington County man will spend 20 years behind bars for exploiting a 90-year-old blind woman, announced Attorney General Jim Hood.

Joey Carroll, age 30, of Greenville, pleaded guilty today to nine counts of felony false pretense brought by the Attorney General?s Public Integrity Division and two counts of wire fraud brought by the Consumer Protection Division.  He appeared before Judge Ashley Hines in Washington County Circuit Court. 

On the nine counts of false pretense, Carroll was sentenced to ten years to serve on counts one and two to run consecutive, and five years on counts three to nine to run concurrent with counts one and two.  The sentencing means Carroll will spend 20 years behind bars.

Carroll exploited the victim out of approximately $20,000 and was ordered to pay full restitution. 

?This defendant called the victim pretending to be an attorney and then convinced her she was part of a class action suit and she owed legal fees,? said Attorney General Jim Hood.  ?He would then drop by her house regularly and pick up blank signed checks from her.  There is no excuse for such exploitation.?

Carroll was also ordered to pay $1,000 to the crime victim?s compensation fund, $2,000 to cover investigative costs, a $2,500 fine to Washington County and court costs in the amount of $325.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Stan Alexander and investigated by Russell Frazier of the Attorney General?s Public Integrity Division.