A Jacksonville man is facing felony raps after allegedly tricking St. Johns County octogenarian out of $5,000, a police report states.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a fraud complaint last month after the unidentified female victim said she was contacted by callers claiming to represent American Express and Truist Bank.
The schemers told the 84-year-old that her account had been compromised and instructed her to withdraw $5,000 from her checking account, place it in a plastic bag, and give it to an “FDIC agent” for verification.
ST. AUGUSTINE MAN DUPES VICTIM OUT OF $2 MILLION TO FUND GAMBLING HABIT
Amico followed their directions and met a Uber driver outside Jenks Pizza on County Road 210, where she handed over the cash.
Investigators later interviewed the unknowing Uber driver, who told them he had been hired to drop off the loot to a Wawa gas station in Nassau County, which he did.
A subpoena served to Uber later traced the ride request back to Jerone Martin of Jacksonville.
Surveillance footage from the Wawa showed a work truck belonging to Martin arriving about 2:29 p.m., and a man resembling the suspect meeting the Uber driver for the handoff roughly an hour later.
Detectives met with Martin’s managers, who confirmed that he was the man in the footage.
Investigators said Martin admitted ordering the Uber, collecting the cash, and depositing it into his bank account.
Deputies said Martin knowingly engaged in a scheme to defraud a vulnerable elderly victim by impersonating financial authorities and using an electronic device to coordinate the theft. The victim’s verified loss was $5,000.
The case is ongoing.
