TWO TRY FOR DRUG MONEY FROM CONVICT'S DAD.(Local)

Byline: Bruce A. Scruton Staff writer

Two inmates on a work release program are back behind bars after one of them allegedly tried to swindle the father of a third inmate for money that the pair planned to use to buy drugs, State Police said Friday.

George Degaspard, 36, reportedly approached a Colonie businessman to talk about his son. For $6,000 up front and more money later, Degaspard promised he would have the son released on parole within two weeks, investigators said.

Degaspard then planned to use the money along with Leonard Jerome, 30, to buy drugs, not knowing that Jerome had planned to cut Degaspard out of the deal altogether, according to Senior Investigator Kevin Tuffey of the Guilderland station.

Tuffey said the scam began about a month ago with the contact with the businessman. His son, who was not identified by Tuffey, has been in prison for several years serving a sentence for sex crimes and isn't due for his first parole hearing for at least two years.

The businessman contacted a local parole officer about Degaspard's offer. That officer contacted State Police and the Inspector General's office of the state Department of Correctional Facilities, headed by Brian Malone.

The Colonie man worked with troopers and Malone's squad and Degaspard received a check for the down payment.

Tuffey said Degaspard and Jerome then discussed how they were going to get the drugs. The investigator said there was never any actual money changing hands and neither inmate managed to get any drugs before their arrests Friday.

Both were arraigned before Guilderland Justice Kenneth Riddett, who ordered them held without bail in Albany County Jail pending another hearing Wednesday in Colonie Town Court. Degaspard faces a charge of third-degree grand larceny while Jerome is accused of second-degree conspiracy.

According to Tuffey, both men were inmates at the Mid-Hudson Correctional Facility in Hudson, which they would leave each morning for work. Degaspard, until a week ago, worked with a construction company in Highland, Ulster County, while Jerome worked with a construction company in Colonie.

Tuffey said inmates working in the release program sleep weekday nights at the prison. Some participants of the program have free weekends while others must spend weekends at the prison.

Degaspard, who lived in East Greenbush, was serving a prison sentence for larceny. Jerome, who lived in Rensselaer, was serving a sentence for conspiracy to distribute drugs. Tuffey said both men had been in the work furlough program for about two months and had met while at the Mid-Hudson facility.

Tuffey said Degaspard knew the businessman's son, but "It was a number of years ago when they were both in Albany County Jail. They had never been in prison together and there was no way he (Degaspard) could have done anything to get the son out."