Florida Woman Falls Victim to Scam
A woman from Florida has fallen victim to a scam that caused her to lose $15,825 in total. According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the perpetrators, who pretended to be law enforcement officials, claimed she failed to show up for jury duty and threatened her with arrest unless she complied. To resolve the situation, they directed her to Bitcoin ATMs to make payments.
Investigation and Arrest
The investigation led detectives to trace one of her transactions, which amounted to approximately $4,209, to a Cash App account associated with Annie Lee Ashley, a 61-year-old resident of East Dublin, Georgia. On September 25, 2026, Ashley was extradited from Georgia and faced a grand theft charge upon her booking in Volusia County. She was granted release later that same day after posting a $15,000 surety bond, with her legal representative subsequently filing a not-guilty plea on her behalf.
Details of the Scam
The victim reported the incident on August 7, 2026, detailing two Bitcoin deposits that day. The total for these deposits was roughly 0.0655 BTC (around $4,209) and 0.1063 BTC (about $6,832), but she did not receive back the full cash equivalent due to ATM fees. When interviewed, Ashley admitted to having the Cash App account but denied ever receiving the funds and suggested that her phone had been accessed by others.
Broader Investigation
Sheriff Mike Chitwood has connected this case with a broader investigation into impersonation scams in Volusia County that are linked to Georgia’s prison system. Allegations have arisen indicating that inmates at facilities such as Wheeler Correctional Institution and Calhoun State Prison may be utilizing illegal mobile devices to orchestrate these scams with the help of accomplices on the outside who manage the cryptocurrency transactions.
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