MS man who faked death faces federal charges in Alabama
A Moss Point military veteran who faked his own death in 2018 to avoid jail time for alleged sex crimes in Jackson County faces new federal charges, this time related to the Alabama death hoax.
A federal grand jury in Mobile has indicted Jacob Blair Scott, 45, for falsely communicating a distress call, unlawfully shipping and transporting a firearm by an indicted person, and providing false or misleading information regarding the use of a firearm.
He is scheduled for a hearing on the new charges next week in the US District Court in Mobile.
Each of the charges carries a sentence of up to 5 years each and a fine of $250,000.
All of the new charges relate to Scott’s attempt to fake his own death on July 18, 2018.
Following his disappearance, US Coast Guard and law enforcement officials in Orange Beach, Alabama responded after finding Scott’s abandoned dinghy with what appeared to be a suicide note, a small amount of blood and a .380 caliber handgun strapped to his boat. His 1999 Toyota 4-Runner was found parked nearby.
Alabama authorities spent weeks searching for his remains.
But nearly two years later, after national publicity, a tip led authorities to find him living in an RV park in Oklahoma. He had used the name of a friend and veteran.
The charge of falsely communicating a distress call accuses him of causing state and federal authorities to respond to a call for help when help was not needed. He faces the federal firearms charge for possession of weapons after being charged with a felony in Mississippi.
The false statements charge accuses him of providing false information to the authorities by faking his own death.
A transfer of $45,000
Shortly after his disappearance, authorities in Mississippi learned that Scott had two bank accounts, one at People’s Bank and the other at First Bank.
A search of the two accounts revealed that a wire transfer for $47,000 was made to one of Scott’s bank accounts on June 13, 2018. The next day, records show, Scott wrote a personal check for $45,000. $ and cashed it.
Scott’s disappearance came just days before he pleaded guilty to sex crimes charges in Jackson County. He had been charged with 14 counts, including one count accusing him of having filmed the minor engaging in sexual acts.
The girl became pregnant, and a paternity test later confirmed that Scott was the child’s father.
A tip led to his arrest
Scott’s time on the run ended after he was named one of the US Marshal’s 15 Most Wanted Fugitives and offered a $25,000 reward for his arrest.
After the case was featured in “In-Pursuit with John Walsh,” on January 29, 2020, a tip led authorities to the campground in Antlers, Oklahoma, where he was arrested.
He lived in an RV and did odd jobs around town before his arrest.
“A Survivalist”
Shortly after Scott disappeared, the mother of the girl who became pregnant told the Sun Herald that she had long suspected Scott faked his death because he said he would never go to jail for no crime.
When authorities found Scott in Oklahoma, he had assumed the identity of a former colleague at Chevron’s Pascagoula refinery.
After his capture, Scott was extradited from Oklahoma to Mississippi to face charges.
Scott is being held in Peal River County Jail pending court appearance on the new federal charges in Alabama.
This story was originally published February 3, 2022 7:56 p.m.