A fugitive from Georgia, Richard Bailey, 55, wanted on 91 felony warrants, was apprehended in Bay County, Florida, following a three-week investigation. According to a report by WTVY, Bay County Sheriff's Office, in coordination with Georgia authorities, conducted surveillance, leading to Bailey being found at a residence on Cedar Bluff Road. During the arrest, Bailey refused to comply with commands to exit peacefully, but deputies nonetheless safely retrieved three juveniles and a woman identified as Brittany Addis, 36, from the property before taking Bailey into custody.
Inside the home, law enforcement found a firearm and illegal substances. Bailey, a registered sex offender, is alleged to have committed 88 counts of fraud and three counts of racketeering in Georgia, connected to a cryptocurrency scam amounting to approximately $3.2 million. Bailey and Addis were both arrested and booked into the Bay County Jail, with Addis facing charges including child neglect, harboring a sex offender, and drug-related offenses, shared by FOX 5 Atlanta.
Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford praised the collaborative efforts of the BCSO Warrants Division, Criminal Investigations Division, and Special Investigations Division for resolving the situation and ensuring community safety. In a statement obtained by FOX 5 Atlanta, the details of the scheme emerged, revealing that Bailey and accomplices persuaded victims to invest in a supposed cryptocoin backed by hard assets, which continued to push its go-live date, ultimately leading to vanishing scammers when significant withdrawals were attempted.
The Baker County District Attorney’s Office informed FOX 5 Atlanta that two other suspects related to the scam have been arrested, one in Tennessee and another in New York, with the arrest of a fourth suspect anticipated soon in Texas. The juveniles Bailey was found with were turned over to the Florida Department of Children and Families, though their specific relationship to Bailey or Addis has not been defined by the sheriff's office.
