Two California co-conspirators were recently arrested in a $487,350 theft from a Central Florida woman.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office charged the two defendants with defrauding an Orange City woman out of almost half a million dollars.
56-year-old Jason Hellawell was taken into custody in his home state of California while co-conspirator 33-year-old Ariel Wang traveled to Volusia County and turned herself in.
Hellawell was charged with grand theft over $100,000 with additional charges pending. Wang was charged with grand theft, money laundering and organized scheme to defraud.
The 61-year-old victim in this case believed she was sending a wire transfer of $487,350 to her accountant for taxes owed. In reality, her accountant’s email had been compromised by scammers.
Detectives with the VSO Financial Crimes Unit tracked down the suspects and seized bank accounts. Additional charges were possible from other jurisdictions as investigations continue, according to law enforcement.
