A Georgia inmate has been accused of orchestrating a cryptocurrency scam from inside prison, allegedly convincing an elderly Florida resident to deposit $5,600 into a crypto ATM by impersonating law enforcement over the phone.
Impersonation scheme targets seniors
Patrick Marquelle Turner, 31, who is serving time at Wheeler Correctional Facility in Georgia, faces multiple felony charges in Florida, including grand theft, money laundering, defrauding a person over 65, impersonating an officer, and using a communication device to commit a felony.
Turner was extradited to Florida on August 24 after Marion County authorities linked him to a scheme involving a call that appeared to come from the “Marion County Sheriff’s Office.” During the call, the victim was falsely told he had missed jury duty and would be arrested unless he paid a fine immediately.
Caller ID spoofing played a crucial role in the scam. The Federal Trade Commission has repeatedly warned that scammers can manipulate caller ID to display the names and numbers of legitimate government agencies.
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AAPLDeputies said the victim, believing he was speaking with law enforcement, drove to a crypto ATM and deposited $5,600 as instructed. Investigators later tracked the funds as they moved through several accounts and tied eight related transactions to Turner’s activities.
Authorities tied Turner’s use of a smuggled cellphone to the operation, which leveraged caller ID spoofing, threats of arrest, and the victim’s fear to facilitate the transfer of $5,600 through a cryptocurrency ATM.
The charges filed against Turner are currently accusations, and no conviction has been finalized.
Multistate network suspected
Law enforcement suspects a broader network of Georgia inmates is conducting similar impersonation scams, often with help from accomplices outside prison walls who collect and launder illicit funds.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office has pressed charges against multiple individuals accused of channeling scam proceeds through cryptocurrency platforms. Among those implicated is D’Zyre Youngblood, 28, of Atlanta, who was allegedly involved in a scheme in which a caller posing as “Captain Eric Dietrich” threatened a Florida woman, ultimately extracting over $79,000.
Investigators traced these funds to a Coinbase account associated with Youngblood, who stated that contacts in prison coordinated with her to move the money. Additional suspects include Christina Rimes of Morven, Georgia, linked to the theft of $17,000 from a Daytona Beach victim, and Lakesha Heard, who was extradited to Volusia County in August 2025 after reportedly deceiving another resident out of $9,300 via a Bitcoin ATM.
Mini dictionary: Caller ID spoofing – A technique used by scammers to display false information on a recipient’s phone so the call appears to come from an official or familiar source.
Authorities urge vigilance with cryptocurrency payments
Officials across Florida have emphasized that government agencies do not collect fines for jury duty via telephone or cryptocurrency, and never use threats of immediate arrest or payment through gift cards, digital tokens, or wire transfers.
On August 10, the Marion County Clerk of Court and Comptroller notified residents that staff will never initiate calls demanding payment. Similar warnings have been echoed by the FTC, which advises that legitimate law enforcement will not text warrants, threaten arrest, or require unconventional payment methods.
Bitcoin ATMs have emerged as a preferred tool for perpetrators to receive fraudulent payments and launder proceeds. In 2025, the FBI reported a record $333.5 million in Bitcoin ATM fraud impacting over 10,000 victims, with older adults suffering the most significant losses.
Recent efforts to curb such scams include new Louisiana regulations mandating warning signs at cryptocurrency ATMs, deposit caps of $3,000 per day, and a 72-hour holding period to provide potential victims with additional time to realize fraud and seek recovery of funds.
| State | Recent action | Limit per day | Hold Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | Introduced ATM warnings, recovered $200,000 | $3,000 | 72 hours |
| Florida | Multiple arrests, public agency warnings | No statewide limit | No mandated hold |
