FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida woman has been arrested in connection with a multi-state property fraud scheme that investigators say generated more than $400,000.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, 63-year-old Cheryl Annette Jefferson of Bartow was taken into custody on a fugitive warrant for organized scheme to defraud over $50,000 following a two-year investigation.
The case began in January 2024 when a Flagler County resident reported her property had been sold without her knowledge after she was unable to pay property taxes because ownership had been transferred.
In April 2024, detectives began investigating a similar case involving a vacant lot in Flagler County after a relative of the owner discovered a home had been built on the property without the owner’s consent.
Investigators determined Jefferson used fraudulent identification to pose as a property owner during at least one transaction. Bank records revealed proceeds from multiple property sales were deposited into an account Jefferson opened in December 2022.
Detectives said Jefferson then transferred funds through various methods, including checks, additional bank accounts, and cryptocurrency transactions. Authorities found money was moved into a Coinbase account and then transferred to accounts associated with individuals overseas.
With assistance from the Sheriff’s Office Real Time Crime Center, investigators linked Jefferson to additional cases, including two in Lee County, Florida, one in Georgia, and a civil case in Colorado.
Records show approximately $421,995.30 in deposits tied to the fraudulent property sales across multiple jurisdictions.
During the investigation, Jefferson told detectives she believed she was acting on behalf of individuals she thought were associated with well-known country music figures and that the funds were intended for a recording studio project. Investigators said evidence from her cellphone, including text messages, indicated her involvement in moving funds.
Jefferson was arrested by the DeFuniak Springs Police Department and transported to the Walton County Jail. She was later released on a $100,000 bond.