FRANKLIN — A man from Georgia was arrested for allegedly scamming Louisianians through phone calls, posing as a fake law enforcement officer and telling victims their loved ones had been arrested. 

Donovan Kobie Baptiste, 22, was arrested in Valdosta, Georgia, on Wednesday. He's charged with bank fraud, fraudulent portrayal of law enforcement, fraud-access device and theft. 

According to the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office, Baptiste called victims and pretended to be "Sergeant Michael Thomas." He allegedly told people on the phone that a family member had been arrested and they needed to post a $7,000 bond. 

Baptiste allegedly used accurate names, birthdays and even addresses to make the scheme more convincing. He would then allegedly transfer them to a second person pretending to be a bail bondsman, who would tell the victim to send 10 percent of the bond, $700, through Apple Pay, PayPal or CashApp. 

SMPSO said victims quickly became suspicious of the "high-pressure tactics" and reported the scam. The sheriff's office investigated and identified Baptiste as a suspect. 

He was arrested by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office in Georgia and transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center for booking. He was released on a real $25,000 bond.