On September 24, 2025, the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas arrested 25-year-old Josiah Smith and 33-year-old Briana Norwood from Tuscaloosa and Northport, Alabama respectively for serving as money mules for an unknown scammer who impersonated Sheriff John Montgomery.
The scammer reportedly called an elderly male and demanded that they “safeguard” $250,000 through a FedEx shipment to Smith, who posed as “Deputy Steve Rogers” and even possessed a fake Illinois driver’s license under the name. Smith recruited Norwood, who possessed a fake Connecticut driver’s license under the name “Angela Mullen,” to drive him to the victim’s home.
The two are currently being held on $25,000 cash bonds at the Baxter County Detention Center on charges of attempted theft, financial identity fraud and the conspiracy to commit theft. Their arrest was also part of an operation that led to the arrests of
- Pruthvraj Butiya, a 24-year-old Indian national currently on hold by ICE after posing as an agent with the Federal Trade Commission.
- Osazuwa P. Ikponmwosa, a 27-year-old who posed as an FTC agent and a representative from PayPal
- Pranav Sharma, a 28-year-old Indian national currently on hold by ICE
- Gage Thurman, A 22-year-old who obstructed the arrest of Ikponmwosa
https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/baxter-county-fraud-arrests/
https://www.kark.com/crime/baxter-county-sheriff-arrests-three-money-mules-targeting-community/