For Immediate Release
March 2, 2018
 
Bradenton, Fla -- The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested the following four women for organized scheme to defraud and conspiracy to commit organized scheme to defraud: Brione Brown, 31, of Bradenton; Alveona Collymore, 27, of Bradenton; Tacoma Hamilton, 35, of Sarasota and Chelsea Wilder, 25, of Bradenton. A fifth woman, Querer Farmer, is still at large.
 
The investigation began in 2016 when Fifth Third Bank identified several individuals that were opening bank accounts with very little money in them, and then quickly making large deposits into utility accounts of other co-conspirators who had accounts with Tampa Electric Company as well as Florida Power and Light. The utility account holders then called and requested a refund of the money, claiming that it was accidently paid to their account.
 
The utility companies issued refund checks to the utility account holders, which were cashed before it was discovered that the Fifth Third Bank accounts did not have sufficient funds. The women unlawfully obtained more than $50,000 from Fifth Third Bank.
 
The individuals were booked into Manatee County Jail and Sarasota County Jail. They will be prosecuted by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office of Statewide Prosecution. This investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are possible.
 
For Further Information Contact:
Gretl Plessinger, Jessica Cary or Jeremy Burns
FDLE Office of Public Information
(850) 410-7001