A Bartow woman is facing felony charges after investigators say she carried out a multi-state real estate fraud scheme that allegedly involved selling homes and land she did not own.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Cheryl Annette Jefferson, 63, was arrested following an investigation into fraudulent real estate transactions involving properties in several states.
Investigators say Jefferson allegedly used forged documents and false identification to list and sell properties belonging to other people without their knowledge. Authorities say the scheme involved properties in Florida, Georgia, and Colorado and resulted in more than $421,000 in deposits tied to the fraudulent sales.
In several cases, detectives say the legitimate property owners were unaware their land had been sold until after the transactions had already taken place.
One property owner reportedly discovered her Palm Coast lot had been sold when she attempted to pay property taxes and learned she was no longer listed as the owner of the property.
During the investigation, detectives said Jefferson offered an unusual explanation for some of the financial activity tied to the case.
According to investigators, Jefferson told detectives she opened a bank account for someone she believed to be Brian Kelley, a member of the country music duo Florida Georgia Line. She reportedly told investigators the funds were connected to plans to build a recording studio in Nashville.
Authorities say there is no evidence linking any country music artists to the alleged fraud scheme.
Jefferson was arrested on a Flagler County warrant and charged with organized scheme to defraud more than $50,000. She was later released on bond.
Public social media profiles that appear to belong to Jefferson indicate she previously worked for Polk County Fire Rescue for decades as an office manager before retiring in 2022. The same profiles also indicate she later worked in customer service at Publix.
Investigators say the case highlights a growing type of real estate fraud where scammers target vacant land or property owned by people who live out of state, then use forged documents to complete property sales without the owner’s knowledge.
The investigation remains ongoing.
