D'Zyre Youngblood, 28, was arrested yesterday after investigators say she helped pull off a bitcoin impersonation scam that fleeced a Florida resident out of about $79,000. Deputies allege callers pretended to be from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, leaned on threats of arrest, and then pushed frightened targets into sending cryptocurrency instead of cash. Youngblood, who lives in Atlanta, was booked into the Volusia County Jail and faces charges of grand theft and running an organized scheme to defraud.
According to Fox San Antonio, which credits CBS12, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office Financial Crimes Unit traced the money to a bitcoin wallet after the victim reported a call from someone using the name “Captain Dietrich.” At a news conference, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood brought out the real Captain Dietrich and told reporters, “This is the real Captain Dietrich... so you can tell your homeboys that if you f*** around in Volusia County, you're getting locked up.” Investigators say the operation is being run by inmates inside a Georgia prison with help from accomplices on the outside, and detectives warned that more arrests are likely.
How the scam worked
Investigators say the callers pretended to be deputies, claimed the victims were in serious legal trouble, and then threatened them with arrest unless they paid up in bitcoin. It is a classic twist on government impostor scams, just updated for the crypto age. Both the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission have long warned that scammers like to demand payment through hard-to-reverse channels like cryptocurrency or gift cards, and they urge people not to pay and to report the contact instead. In this case, as in more and more fraud probes, blockchain analysis and wallet-tracking tools are turning those payment reports into real investigative leads.
What victims should do
If someone calls you claiming to be a deputy, threatens you with arrest, and then insists you pay in crypto, hang up and call your local law enforcement using a verified number. Victims are urged to file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center and to hand over any call logs. If you already sent cryptocurrency, contact your exchange or wallet provider right away and save everything you can, including texts, emails, and wallet addresses, so detectives have something to work with.
Charges and next steps
The sheriff's office says Youngblood is facing grand theft and organized-scheme-to-defraud charges, both felony counts under Florida law that can mean years in prison if prosecutors secure a conviction. Volusia detectives say ongoing forensic work on the bitcoin transfers is expected to drive the next phase of the case, and authorities told reporters to expect more arrests as the investigation stretches beyond the initial complaint.
