Morristown, TN (WOKI/Hamblen Co. Sheriff’s Office): {for release 6/16/25} The Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office and the Johnson City Office of the FBI recently conducted a joint sting which halted an international criminal enterprise targeting elderly Hamblen County residents.
According to Sheriff Chad Mullins, local residents have been bilked out of more than a million dollars under the guise of being winners of the Publisher’s Clearing House.
“There were multiple subjects targeted in this year-long scam and only after one man finally reached out to law enforcement were we notified of what was happening,” Mullins stated.
“The victim is contacted by phone that they are the contest winner, but in order to receive their prize it is necessary to pay taxes on the winnings in advance and in cash,” Mullins said. “The victim is instructed to make cash withdrawals, take a photo of the cash and then put it in an envelope or small box. At that point, someone who identifies as a representative of Publisher’s Clearing House will go to the victim’s home and retrieve the money.”
Samuel Bobby Campbell, age 48, was the so-called PCH representative who attempted to retrieve $75,000 from a local resident late last week. Instead of being met with the cash, he was met by the HCSO and the FBI.
Campbell, who hails from another country, flew from a northern state to Tennessee to make the transaction. He is now being housed in the Hamblen County Jail and is under investigation for other multi-million dollar scams around the country.
“The people involved in these international criminal enterprises aren’t playing around,” Mullins said. “The fact they would actually fly someone in from another state and go directly to the victim’s home shows they mean business.”
Sheriff Mullins noted there are a lot of people who need to be recognized and thanked for their efforts in apprehending Campbell.
“This was a joint effort between the HCSO and the Johnson City Office of the FBI and I truly appreciate the work they put in to the investigation,” Mullins stated. “The TBI also played a big role with the use of their plane and I want to thank them for their assistance.”
Mullins went on to acknowledge the work by lead investigator Det. Sgt. Trevor Snowden and the assistance of HCSO patrol.
“When it comes to safeguarding our citizens, we’ll pull out all the stops to make it happen,” he added. “I’m very appreciative of the working relationship we have with other law enforcement agencies who have the same goal we do.”
Educating the public on the types and levels of scams is something the HCSO, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies strive to do, but according to Mullins, when people are told they are the winners of a substantial amount of money, common sense often goes out the window.
“If you or a family member is notified that you’ve won any amount of money, I encourage you to do your research,” Mullins added. “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
