TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Leon County Sheriff's Office employee has been arrested after she bought nearly $13,000 worth of items using credit cards she got from a man she met on a dating website.
The Leon County Sheriff's Office say 47-year-old Cassandra Austin, a LCSO civilian employee, turned herself in on Wednesday. She is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, per agency policy.
Detectives were made aware of possible fraud related issues by other employees in October.
They say that in July, Austin was contacted by a unknown man through a dating website. In September, the man asked Austin to pick up some cellphones he had purchased so she could ship them to him overseas.
In October, detectives say the man sent Austin three separate credit cards through the mail and asked her to purchase various electronics and gift cards with them. He then asked her to ship those items overseas to him.
According to LCSO, the total loss in this investigation was $12,454.94. Another $9,904.96 in charges were attempted but were declined. The victims in this investigation are from New Jersey, South Carolina, and Connecticut.
She has been charged with fraudulent use of personal ID to obtain more than $5,000, organized scheme to defraud, over $20,000 but less than $50,000, grand theft, over $20,000 but less than $100,000, and fraudulent use of credit card, 2 or more times in 6 months.
