On January 8, 2024, federal authorities indicted and arrested Anthony Sanders and his girlfriend Marlita Andrews for attempting to swindle a Sarasota, Florida resident out of $12,000 in a Jury Duty scam by
- Spoofing the phone number used by Sarasota County deputies to call the victim and falsely claim she owed money for missing jury duty.
- Ordering the victim to stay on the phone until she paid the “fine” at a “bonding transaction center,” which was actually a bitcoin ATM, with the money being transferred to Andrews’ crypto wallet.
Sanders participated in the scam from Georgia state prison, using a cell phone that was reportedly smuggled in through the use of a drone. Andrews was asked to purchase additional cellphones so they too can be dropped into the prison via drone.
The two have been charged with the conspiracy to commit fraud, though authorities believe that they have scammed other victims. Sanders remains in prison while Andrews was released on house arrest, both facing up to 20 years in federal prison for their crimes.