Coweta County, GA – A Stone Mountain man has been apprehended for allegedly masterminding a jury duty extortion scheme, deceiving an unsuspecting victim out of over one thousand dollars through impersonation and fraudulent claims.
On December 17, law enforcement officials in Coweta County took 43-year-old Robert Dewayne Allen into custody, charging him with theft by extortion. Allen is alleged to have conducted a deceitful operation in which a county resident was swindled out of $1,355. According to authorities, Allen posed as an employee of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office during this con.
The scam unfolded on September 14, 2022, when the victim received a phone call from someone claiming they had missed jury duty and that a bench warrant had been issued for their arrest. The caller, pretending to be a law enforcement officer, instructed the victim to transfer money via the digital payment service Zelle to avoid being arrested, directing the payment to “Robert Allen,” who the caller falsely claimed was the accounting officer handling the case.
The authorities’ investigation revealed that the scam involved detailed fabrications, including bogus case information given to lend credence to the fraudulent demands. Detectives traced the payment and used information obtained from Zelle, including a phone number and mailing address associated with the transaction, to locate and apprehend Allen.
Allen’s arrest was executed earlier this week in DeKalb County following the issuance of a warrant related to his activities in Coweta County. In response to these events, law enforcement has heightened its warnings to the public regarding similar fraudulent activities. They emphasize that legitimate legal notifications such as warrants or subpoenas are delivered in person or through certified mail, and that no genuine government agency would solicit payments via phone calls or electronic money transfers.
Residents who believe they might have information relevant to this case or similar incidents are encouraged to contact the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office. In the meantime, the community is urged to remain vigilant and informed about the proper procedures for legitimate legal communications to prevent falling victim to similar scams.
This article was automatically written by Open AI. Readers should note that the included details about people, facts, circumstances, and the broader story are reported based on available information and may contain inaccuracies. Requests for content removal, retractions, or corrections can be directed to the provided contact email at [email protected].