ALLEGHENY COUNTY — There’s good news and bad news for people who fell victim to a recent telephone scam related to jury duty.

Officials have a solid lead and two suspects who are in custody in a Georgia prison.

But on the downside, anyone who wired nearly $1,000 to these people, “will never get their money back. It’s already been disbursed,” said Allegheny County Sheriff William P. Mullen.

Allegheny County detectives have filed charges against two Georgia men alleging the scheme that hit that county — at least 30 people called, with six wiring out cash — on Easter weekend.

Mullen said the callers claim to be deputy sheriffs Evans or Bradley, inquiring why the resident missed jury duty and alleging that a warrant has been issued. To avoid arrest, the victim was told to go to Walmart and wire $990 to a NetSpend account. The victim was told that he would get the money back when he appears in court.

After “a lot of leg work” tracking the calls as well as a video from the Walmart stores were people retrieved the wired money, two people are suspects: Taurus Thurmond, 28, and Antonio Jones, 36, both from the suburbs of Atlanta.

“They have been arrested and charged and are awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania,” Mullen said, noting the suspects face a list of charges including theft, extortion and impersonating a public official.

Mullen said the scheme is likely tied to gang activity in the Georgia prison system, and the two men could be part of a larger conspiracy. But the surveillance as well as transaction receipts found in their vehicle, tie them to the Allegheny County cases.

Meantime, the circumstances sound “too similar to discount” being the same scam as one in which people victimized a Butler County resident in recent weeks, said Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe.

Slupe contacted the Allegheny County officials and now they are working with Butler County investigators to determine if there is a definite link.

“I think it’s the same people,” said Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger who is working on this county’s end of the investigation.

Goldinger said Butler Township Police are leading the probe because most of the complaints came from that municipality and the single known person from this county to wire out the cash is a Butler County resident. The victim was not identified.

However, Goldinger said, there could be more victims out there.

“They (the scammers) were very believable,” Goldinger said.

Butler Township Police Chief John Hays said the scammers during their calls mentioned the names of real Butler County officials, including Slupe.

“With the Internet, anyone can get that information,” Hays said.

Still, Slupe suggested that just because this pair of suspects is in prison people should not let down their guard. If they are a part of a conspiracy, other people could be doing similar scams. Or other people with the same kind of operation could have victimized Butler County residents. Similar reports, officials said, were filed in Westmoreland County.

“This could be statewide or nationwide,” Slupe said. “I hope it’s the same people but you can never be too safe.”

Butler County President Judge Thomas Doerr has said there are no pending warrants in this county for people who missed jury duty.

Goldinger said anyone who was victimized should contact their police department.