On March 24, 2026, Cheryl Annette Jefferson, 63, of Bartow, was arrested following a two-year investigation into a multi-state property fraud scheme.

On March 24, 2026, Cheryl Annette Jefferson, 63, of Bartow, was arrested following a two-year investigation into a multi-state property fraud scheme.

According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson is accused of selling land she did not own by using fraudulent documents. The investigation began in early 2024 when a property owner discovered her land had been sold without her knowledge after she tried to pay her property taxes.

Key Details of the Case

• The Charges: Jefferson is charged with an organized scheme to defraud over $50,000.
• The Scope: Detectives linked her to $421,995 in illegal deposits. The fraud spanned multiple locations, including Flagler and Lee Counties in Florida, Greene County, Georgia, and Pueblo County, Colorado.
• The Method: Investigators found that Jefferson allegedly used fake driver’s licenses that featured her photograph but the names of the actual property owners to facilitate the sales. In one instance, a victim discovered a house had been built on their vacant lot without their consent.
• The Defense: Jefferson claimed she was acting at the direction of someone she believed was country singer Brian Kelley (of Florida Georgia Line) to help fund a recording studio. However, a search of her phone revealed messages with someone posing as another singer, Chase Rice, regarding the transfer of funds into cryptocurrency.
• International Links: Authorities state the money was eventually funneled through cryptocurrency accounts belonging to individuals in Nigeria.

Jefferson was arrested on a fugitive warrant in Walton County and was later released after posting a $100,000 bond