Shuler received the following message from jail administrator Theresa Smith who oversees inmate accounts. Smith's message read as follows: "It is your responsibility to keep your PIN number secure. We are unable to credit phone time at this facility. Only NCIC can give credits and they will not do so for charges incurred from someone stealing your PIN number. I was informed by Sargent Thompson that your PIN number has already been reset to prevent future unauthorized usage."
Shuler was dumbfounded by Smith's response. "Basically she's blaming me for theft and under that version of the law, no one ever would be held accountable for stealing. I'm going to seek further clarification from jail officials and move forward and quickly, but I'm not going to let this rest. I've had money stolen from me and I intend to have it prosecuted as a crime."
Shuler said he is not certain that the theft was done by an inmate. "If the Shelby County Sheriff's Department is not going to investigate this kind of matter, it makes me think it's possible they're the ones responsible for the theft," Shuler said. "Inmates could possibly steal my PIN number, but people inside the Shelby County Sheriff's Office also have access to it. And the fact they aren't willing to investigate this makes me think they may be responsible. That raises huge questions, federal issues and all sorts of issues about corruption that the public needs to be aware of and I'm making them aware of it."
