Georgia Inmate and Associate Indicted in Jury Duty Scam Using Cryptocurrency

United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced the return of an indictment against Anthony Sanders, also known as “Slanga” (28, McRae-Helena, GA), and Marlita Andrews (28, Macon, GA). The pair has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, Sanders and Andrews face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of $12,825, which represents alleged proceeds from the scheme.

According to court documents, Sanders, an inmate in a Georgia prison, and Andrews, his associate outside the prison, orchestrated a scam that defrauded a Sarasota victim of more than $12,000. The victim received a call from someone impersonating a deputy from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, claiming a warrant had been issued for her arrest for missing jury duty. The victim was directed to a “Bonding Transition Center” to pay the supposed fine, which was, in reality, a Bitcoin ATM.

The victim deposited over $12,000 into three separate accounts as cryptocurrency, as instructed by the scammer. The funds were quickly transferred to a bitcoin wallet controlled by Andrews and subsequently dispersed into several other accounts the next day. Investigators found that Sanders, using contraband phones in prison, directed Andrews on how to transfer the scam’s profits and instructed her to purchase prepaid phones to smuggle into the prison using a drone.

This scam mirrors other schemes where individuals impersonate law enforcement or court officials, threatening victims with arrest for missed jury duty unless fines are paid immediately. Scammers often possess personal details about the victims, such as their home addresses and dates of birth, and use caller ID spoofing to appear legitimate. Investigators have identified Georgia state prison inmates as participants in similar schemes, using illegally obtained phones and outside associates to manage the proceeds.

This case was investigated by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI Tampa Division – Sarasota Resident Agency, with assistance from the FBI Atlanta Division – Macon Resident Agency and Atlanta Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts is prosecuting the case.