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‘Not the first:’ Bitcoin scam costs Volusia County woman thousands of dollars

Lakesha Heard, 47, faces charge of grand theft

Lakesha Heard, 47, was booked in Volusia County on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Volusia Sheriff's Office)

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – An Atlanta woman was extradited to Volusia County this week after a local resident was scammed out of thousands of dollars, according to the sheriff’s office.

In a release, deputies said that the victim in this case was contacted by someone claiming to be a Volusia Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, who claimed that the victim had missed jury duty and thus had a warrant out for her arrest.

“The victim was instructed to deposit $9,300 into a Bitcoin ATM, which she did,” the release reads.

However, real detectives traced the funds to the account of 47-year-old Lakesha Heard, and a warrant was obtained for her arrest, investigators said.

“Lakesha is connected to a fraud ring run by a Georgia state prison gang,” the release continues. “She is not the first to be arrested and probably won’t be the last.”

Now, Heard faces charges of grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud. She is held on a bond of $25,000.


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