Georgia Woman Accused of Scamming Florida Couple With Fake Arrest Claim

Criminals who attempt to scam, especially elderly people, for their hard-earned money through calls are nothing new. Something similar allegedly happened to a couple living in Key Haven in the Florida Keys. According to them, someone called them in December 2025, claiming that they worked for the Seminole County Jail.

According to the couple, the caller told them that their son had been arrested. They allegedly demanded $6,500 for an electronic ankle monitor, which was supposedly required for his release. The couple said they believed the caller’s claims and sent the money through Zelle. This was reportedly without confirming the other party’s identity or ensuring they were actually telling the truth about their son.

However, that wasn’t the end of it. The caller allegedly called for $9,000 more, but the couple refused that demand and got the authorities involved. With law enforcement involved, detectives started reviewing financial records, bank surveillance footage, and body-camera footage from earlier investigations involving similar scams.

While it took a while, the authorities finally arrested the alleged suspect, who was identified as 37-year-old Johnay Monique Barnett of Roswell, Georgia. The arrest reportedly happened on October 13, 2026, which meant that the entire incident took months before an arrest was finally made.

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The Arrest Required A Lot of Help

According to reports, the arrest was possible because investigators had to work with several Georgia law enforcement agencies, including the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Atlanta Police Department, and Alpharetta Police Department. There was also assistance from multiple banks until investigators were ultimately able to obtain an arrest warrant for Barnett.

Barnett was arrested and transferred to Monroe County, where she was booked on October 13. It’s unknown whether there were any additional suspects related to this incident or whether any of the money sent by the couple was ultimately recovered. Barnett was charged with grand theft for her alleged crimes.