It's one of those stories that seems too unbelievable to be true. A Florida woman was arrested this week after authorities said she was selling other people's homes. But what is really raising eyebrows is that she believed she was working on behalf of Florida Georgia Line and Chase Rice.
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A Florida Woman Is Accused of Fraud
As far as we know, Florida Georgia Line and Chase Rice aren't actually involved in the case. But the suspect believed she was helping the musicians.
As reported by television station WKMG, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office in Florida began an investigation into 63-year-old Cheryl Jefferson of Bartow, Florida, in January 2024. A woman called to report that her property had been sold to someone else.
"She only learned of the sale after she was unable to pay her property taxes now that the property was listed under someone else's name," a release from authorities read.
The records from the sale listed the victim as the seller. However, the driver's license was actually that of the suspect. Several months later, another victim discovered a home had been built on a vacant lot they owned without their knowledge.
"Further investigation revealed that wire transfers from the sale of both properties were deposited into a bank account Jefferson opened in December 2022," said the release.
"Since the account's inception, Jefferson also wrote several checks to other individuals, along with checks to herself that she deposited into a separate bank account in her name."
Investigators also shared that Jefferson wired funds from an account on Coinbase, a cryptocurrency app. She also transferred funds into two accounts owned by Nigerian men.
How Do Chase Rice and Florida Georgia Line Come Into This Story?
Detectives then discovered four more cases connected to Jefferson involving fraudulent property sales. More than $400,000 in deposits were linked to the transactions.
"Jefferson told detectives she had opened the bank account for a friend — whom she believed to be Brian Kelley, a band member of Florida Georgia Line — and another individual, whom 'Brian' had introduced her to," the sheriff's office wrote. "Jefferson also stated that she thought the funds were for the construction of a recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee."
Deputies in Polk County found texts between her and "Chase Rice." No, not the "Ready Set Roll" singer. But Jefferson believed it was.
Jefferson has been charged with an organized scheme to defraud in excess of $50,000. She was then released on a $100,000 bond.
Sheriff Rick Staly said regarding the incident, "Crime knows no borders, and it doesn't stop at the Florida Georgia Line. This criminal may claim she has some high-profile friends, but I don't see her friends getting her out of the jam she's put herself in."
