FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — A 64-year-old Dillon County woman is accused
of stealing more than $34,000 from a Florence nursing home resident
while acting as their conservator and power of attorney, according to
the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
Delores Ann Edge of Latta is accused of one count of exploitation of a
vulnerable adult and one count of breach of trust with fraudulent
intent, with a value of $10,000 or more. She was booked into the
Florence County Detention Center on Wednesday.
“Investigators determined that Edge, while acting as the victim’s
conservator and power of attorney, knowingly and willfully engaged in
improper, unlawful, and unauthorized use of the victim’s assets and
property,” the attorney general’s office said in a news release. “The
investigation further established that Edge expended approximately
$34,071.98 of the victim’s funds for her own personal benefit without
lawful authority or permission to do so.”
The alleged exploitation occurred between April 23, 2024, and Feb. 6,
the attorney general’s office said. At the time, the victim was a
resident at Veterans Village Nursing Home in Florence.
The attorney general’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud
unit, known as VAMPF, investigated the case along with the Florence
County Sheriff’s Office. The Dillon County Sheriff’s Office assisted
with the arrest of Edge.
If convicted, Edge faces up to five years in prison and a fine of not
more than $5,000, or both, for the exploitation charge, the attorney
general’s office said. The breach of trust charge carries a sentence of
up to 10 years in prison or a fine at the discretion of the court.
Man who identifies as female charged with sex crime at facility for women where he also lived
By BILL SCHANEN IV
A
33-year-old resident of a Town of Port Washington group home for women
under protective guardianships is accused in Ozaukee County Circuit
Court of sexually assaulting another resident of the facility earlier
this year.
Madison E. Robison was charged on July 10 with second-degree sexual
assault of a person with a mental illness and is being held in the
county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
According to a criminal complaint, Robison identifies as a female but
is a biological male who is listed as such on government records. The
complaint refers to Robison as a man.
On July 4, Ozaukee County sheriff’s deputy Kendra Carter was called
to 33 Fields, a group home for women on Highway 33 where Robison lived
with women with mental disabilities, to investigate a report from a
citizen that Robison posted a video online that referenced sexual
activity and had taken advantage of a resident of the facility, the
complaint states.
Carter interviewed a resident of the home who is under protective
guardianship and diagnosed with cognitive developmental delay, autism
spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and
generalized anxiety disorder. Staff members said she has the mental
capacity of a person who is 6 or 7 years old and produced documentation
that shows the woman is classified as a vulnerable adult who “may not
understand a potential threat from others,” according to the complaint.
When questioned by Carter, the woman repeatedly denied having sex
with Robison, who she referred to as a woman, but said, “I don’t like
Madison bullying me,” the complaint states.
When Carter asked the woman if she knows what sex is, she replied,
“It’s like when you have sex with someone and they want to, like, hurt,
kind of want to hurt you.” She also said, “Sex is they say I love you.
They want to be like a friend,” according to the complaint.
The woman said that although Robison has long hair like a woman she
knows he has male anatomy. When asked by Carter if Robison had
intercourse with her, the woman began to cry and said, “I mean, like, it
was only one time. I mean that’s it,” the complaint states.
Carter than asked the woman if she wanted to have sex with Robison
and she said, “No, I mean I told Madison to stop doing that because ...
she was doing it hard on me. I told Madison to stop, but Madison
wouldn’t stop,” adding that the incident occurred in Robison’s room in
the basement of the group home, according to the complaint.
The woman said she is scared of Robison and had been staying in her
room to avoid him. A group home staff member confirmed this and said
Robison arrived at the group home on March 11. The complaint alleges the
sexual assault occurred between March and July.
Carter talked to another woman at the group home who is under a
protective guardianship and diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, has
intellectual disabilities and suffers from selective mutism due to
anxiety. She is at risk for self-harm and is not allowed to be in the
group home without a staff member present.
This woman told the deputy that she and Robison had sexual
intercourse in the basement of the group home but it was consensual, the
complaint states.
She said, “We had sex. Then he said that it was both consensual. We
both agreed to this. There’s nothing wrong,” according to the complaint.
The woman said Robison asked her if she fantasizes about him and told
her he loved her. She said Robison also talked about wanting to have
sex with the woman he is accused of assaulting, the complaint states.
Robison admitted to having sex with the woman who said it was
consensual and told Carter, “Me and a housemate, we consented on it. I
don’t know who would say it was assault, but it was basically consent,”
according to the complaint.
WBRC obtained financial
records showing the court’s public archival fund was used to pay a
political consulting firm nearly half a million dollars, buy radio
advertising, and reimburse the judge personally
By Jonathan Hardison and Morgan Hightower
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC)
- While patients allegedly sat in hospital beds waiting for mental
health hearings that never came, and families watched their loved ones’
estates stall in a courthouse backlog, Jefferson County Probate
Judge Yashiba Blanchard was spending public money on items at least one
of her predecessors said that money was never intended for.
Suspended Judge Yashiba Blanchard appears in court for alleged judicial ethics violations.(WBRC)
The
records — bank statements, check registers, and contracts covering May
2024 through June 2026 — show the Jefferson County Probate Court’s
Archival Discretionary Fund was used to pay a political communications
firm nearly half a million dollars, purchase tens of thousands of
dollars in radio and broadcast advertising, and reimburse Blanchard
personally for expenses that included a gala ticket, a catering bill,
and a Zoom subscription.
Blanchard took office in January 2025, so these financial records cover a period that begins before her tenure.
Blanchard was suspended in May 2026
after the Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC) filed a 120-page complaint
against her. She faces trial before the Court of the Judiciary — a
nine-member panel with the authority to remove her from the bench —
currently scheduled for November 2026. Her attorney, Emory Anthony, has
said she denies the allegations.
The state’s Department of Examiners of Public Accounts confirmed in July 2026 that it is conducting an audit
of the Jefferson County Probate Court, both the Birmingham and Bessemer
divisions. That audit began in March 2026 — two months before Blanchard
was suspended.
A fund built on fees from everyday residents
To understand why these records matter, it helps to understand the source of the money.
Under
Alabama law, every time a Jefferson County resident records a property
document at the probate court — a deed, a mortgage, a lien — they pay an
$11 special indexing and filing fee on top of standard recording costs.
That money flows directly into the Archival Discretionary Fund, which
the judge of probate controls. The law says it is to be used for
salaries of judicial assistants and for improving the office’s indexing,
recording, archiving, and retrieval systems.
Former Jefferson County Probate Judge
Alan King helped write that law. He lobbied for and helped pass the 2012
legislation that created the fund, and he oversaw it until he left
office in 2020.
“It was created to
safeguard our millions of records, deeds, other real estate records,
marriage licenses, judicial records for future generations,” King told
WBRC.
King said that during his
tenure, every expenditure from the fund went through a review process,
despite the law not requiring oversight and giving the probate judge
discretion over the spending of the funds.
“Everything
that was ever spent out of these funds was approved by the county
attorney’s office in advance, and also, by the state auditor’s office,”
he said. “All those proceeds that I used were all approved in advance,
and then I oversaw the expenditures.”
When Blanchard took office on January 20,
2025, the Bessemer division’s Archival Discretionary Fund held $5.9
million. The Birmingham division’s account held approximately $1.38
million. Combined, the office she inherited had roughly $7.3 million in
public funds under her control.
By the
time she was suspended 16 months later, the Birmingham account had
dropped to approximately $250,000 — a decline of more than $1.1 million.
The Bessemer account had grown to a peak of nearly $6.5 million by
December 2025, then fallen to under $1 million by May 2026.
The single largest vendor in the financial records is CBG Strategies LLC, a communications and consulting firm.
According
to contracts and check registers obtained by WBRC, CBG Strategies was
paid at least $192,000 under a 2025 agreement before Blanchard signed a
new contract with the firm on January 5, 2026. That new contract, which
runs through December 2026, is valued at $440,200, billed at $115,050
per quarter.
Date
Payee
Memo
Payment
Archival Discretionary Fund
3/27/25
CBG Strategies, LLC
Consulting Services
$67,500.00
Birmingham
5/9/25
CBG Strategies, LLC
Direct Mail, Reimbursement
$31,301.69
Birmingham
10/20/25
CBG Strategies, LLC
Consulting Services
$76,559.80
Birmingham
12/11/25
CBG Strategies, LLC
Consulting Services
$17,000.00
Birmingham
1/15/26
CBG Strategies, LLC
Consulting Services
$115,050.00
Birmingham
1/15/26
CBG Strategies, LLC
Consulting Services
$60,252.00
Birmingham
5/12/26
CBG Strategies, LLC
Direct Mail
$22,331.50
Birmingham
5/29/25
CBG Strategies, LLC
Consulting Services
$67,500.00
Bessemer
3/24/26
CBG Strategies, LLC
Inv#1364 &1371; Feb 2026 Mailer/Consulting Service Quarter 2 payment
$157,713.00
Bessemer
5/12/26
CBG Strategies, LLC
Direct Mail
$22,331.50
Bessemer
According
to the contract, the firm manages the court’s Facebook, Instagram, and
TikTok accounts, writes press releases, handles media inquiries,
develops “talking points for court leadership,” plans community events,
and provides what the contract calls an “onsite administrative
coordinator” — a person physically working inside the courthouse every
day.
In total, CBG Strategies received
at least $637,000 from the Archival Discretionary Fund across 2025 and
2026, based on the records reviewed by WBRC.
King, who wrote the law that created the fund, said that kind of spending was never what the legislation intended.
“That was not the intent of the
legislation,” he said. “It’s up to each person, whether they’re a
probate judge, circuit judge, mayor, to run their own campaign. To use
personal or county funds for basically their own personal campaign
purpose, is incredible to me. I’m astounded that the money was allegedly
spent in that way.”
The second major consulting firm in the records is Greene Consulting Group LLC, based in Huntsville.
Greene
Consulting was brought on to provide election-related services — voter
education, poll worker training, election communications, and what the
contract describes as an “Elections Operations Modernization
Initiative.” The firm’s principal is Samuel T. Greene, whose business
contact listed on invoices is a personal Gmail address.
Greene
Consulting signed a contract with Blanchard on January 5, 2026 — the
same day as the CBG contract — for $350,000 per year, billed at $87,500
per quarter, plus a $35,000 upfront retainer.
But something unusual appears on the
signature page of that contract. A handwritten notation reads: “voided
terminated at Date 1/13/2026.” The contract, in other words, appears to
have been canceled just eight days after it was signed.
Despite
that notation, the financial records show that on February 5, 2026, the
Bessemer Archival Discretionary Fund paid Greene Consulting Group
$124,500.
The
invoice submitted for that payment — dated January 30, 2026 — lists
$100,000 for “1st Quarter Consultant Pay” and $22,000 for an “Executive
Dashboard Summary.” The Executive Dashboard Summary itself is a single
page of narrative describing vague “foundational infrastructure” work
with no measurable outcomes, no attendance data, and no deliverables.
Greene Consulting had also been paid
under a prior contract in 2025 — records show payments of $31,250,
$62,500, $31,250, and $17,500 before the January 2026 contract was ever
signed. That prior contract has not been produced in the records
request.
In total, Greene Consulting
Group received at least $461,000 from the Archival Discretionary Fund,
based on the records reviewed by WBRC.
Advertising buys, gala tickets, and a catering bill
Beyond
the consulting contracts, the financial records contain a series of
expenditures that raise questions about whether public archival funds
were used for appropriate purposes.
Broadcast advertising:
The records show the court paid Summit Media — a radio and digital
advertising company — $53,875 on February 12, 2026. The memo line says
the expense is for “Order 673217, 673219, 673223, 673225A.” The court
also paid Richardson Broadcasting Corporation a total of approximately
$49,500 across multiple payments in 2025 and 2026, with invoices
described as “advertising.” Cumulus Media was paid $19,250 for a :30
commercial on Talk 99.5 Radio in March 2026. Courtney French
Broadcasting was paid $20,000 between February and March 2026 for radio
broadcast, and commercial spots.
Promotional merchandise: The court
paid JJ’s T-Shirts & Team approximately $9,629 for shirts, and
Superior Promos Inc. approximately $10,273 for promotional products —
both categorized as miscellaneous office expenses.
Photography:
A vendor called The Price Approach Photography was paid at least $7,650
across nine separate transactions. Memo descriptions on the checks
include “headshots,” “event photography,” “Judge Blanchard - Biography,”
and “photos for Judge Knox.”
Personal reimbursements to Blanchard:
The records show Blanchard herself was reimbursed or paid directly more
than 25 times over 16 months, with individual payments ranging from
$36.73 to $4,585.09. Among the items: a Zoom subscription ($159.90), a
catering bill from “The Happy Catering” ($249.25), a payment described
as a “2025 Foundation Gala” ($550), and multiple travel advances to
cities including Chicago, Salt Lake City, and San Antonio.
Community event sponsorships:
The records show two payments of $3,500 each to “Brenda’s Brown Bosom
Buddies” for what is described as a “Sistah Strut Sponsorship,” a $1,500
payment to “Men of Powderly” with the memo “Donation - Yashiba,” a
$1,500 payment to “Pinktopps Inc.” explicitly labeled as a “Donation,”
and a $1,000 payment to “The A List Network LLC” for a “Gala
Sponsorship.”
The law establishing the Archival
Discretionary Fund does not list community event sponsorships or
donations among its authorized uses.
King said the fund’s purpose was always narrow and specific.
“It was created to safeguard our millions of records,” he said. “That was the intent.”
Context: A court already under fire
All
this spending was happening as the Jefferson County Probate Court was,
by the Judicial Inquiry Commission’s (JIC) account, failing at its core
mission.
The JIC complaint, filed in May 2026,
alleges Blanchard did not hear a single involuntary commitment hearing
for the first nine months of her term — leaving the other probate judge
to handle all of them. When she did begin hearing cases, she capped her
docket at four cases per day and six commitment hearings per month —
handling only about 20% of the county’s caseload while the other judge
absorbed the rest.
The complaint
describes a patient who remained hospitalized through Thanksgiving
because Blanchard canceled her hearing to attend a meeting — and only
held the hearing after the hospital sent three requests explaining the
patient was “lying in bed crying and upset.”
Meanwhile,
dozens of estate and conservatorship cases sat without rulings for
months or years. Families paid mounting attorney fees. In at least two
cases, immigration authorities dismissed filings for delay, forcing
families to refile and pay fees again.
The
complaint also alleges Blanchard retaliated against staff, intimidated
attorneys, filed an unsupported State Bar complaint against a lawyer
(which was dismissed), and filed a police report against two attorneys,
resulting in their photographs being shared with courthouse security.
The
state audit of the Jefferson County Probate Court — covering both the
Birmingham and Bessemer divisions — is ongoing. The Alabama Department
of Examiners of Public Accounts has not said when it will conclude or
whether it has flagged any specific transactions.
WBRC
has submitted additional public records requests for contracts,
competitive bid documentation, and authorization records related to the
transactions identified in this report.
CBG Strategies declined comment on its contract and work with the Probate Judge’s office.
We reached out to Blanchard’s attorney, Emory Anthony, for comment on the financial records.
We also reached out to Greene Consulting Group and are waiting for a reply.
The allegations read like an elder exploitation nightmare: dozens of checks, two iPhones, and two Satsuma homes, all tied to one victim.
In an NBC 15 exclusive interview, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said the investigation began after the victim's daughter noticed unusual activity in her father's financial accounts — a discovery that investigators say uncovered a years-long scheme targeting an elderly Mobile County man.
"The investigation began November of last year when a family member of the victim came forward with what they saw some inconsistencies in his financial accounts," Burch told NBC 15. "The Sheriff's Office launched an investigation."
Court records show three people — Nora Powe Hobden, Melissa Lynn Hobden and Michael Lewis Crouch — are facing felony charges tied to allegations they stole checks, property and personal information from Tom Baxter.
The largest accusation is against Melissa Hobden. Criminal complaints filed in Mobile County District Court allege she took and cashed 35 checks belonging to Baxter, totaling $371,980. She is charged with first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person and first-degree theft of property connected to those checks.
But the allegations go beyond checks.
Investigators also accuse Melissa Hobden of forcing Baxter to sign over two Satsuma properties: one at 13165 Williams Ave., valued in the complaint at $88,000, and another at 5515 Darring St., valued at $105,000. Separate theft charges were filed over each property.
Mobile County property records reviewed by NBC 15 show the Darring Street property has been in Melissa Hobden's name since 2022. A current property record lists her as the owner of 5515 Darring St. and shows a 2026 appraised value of $160,800.
NBC 15 also confirmed both Melissa Hobden and Michael Crouch list the Darring Street address in jail booking records — the same address investigators say was taken from Baxter.
Melissa Hobden is also charged with identity theft. According to investigators, she used Baxter's identifying and banking information to purchase two iPhone 17s under his name and had the phones shipped to her address.
Nora Hobden is accused in separate complaints of unlawfully obtaining and cashing a $46,842 check belonging to Baxter. She is charged with first-degree financial exploitation of an elderly person and first-degree theft of property.
Crouch is accused of cashing or attempting to cash checks tied to Baxter. One complaint alleges he cashed a $38,042 check. Another alleges he attempted to present a fraudulently obtained check valued at $9,450. He faces charges including first-degree theft, attempted first-degree theft and possession of a forged instrument.
Taken together, the complaints describe hundreds of thousands of dollars in checks, real estate and other property allegedly taken or targeted. Some of the charges involve the same alleged conduct under different criminal counts, meaning the court filings do not represent a final loss total.
But in his exclusive interview with NBC 15, Burch said detectives believe they're still uncovering the full scope of the alleged scheme.
Richard Dee Bierma Jr., 42, is accused of stealing $5,784 from an elderly Idaho Falls man.
Bierma faces charges including exploitation of a vulnerable adult and grand theft.
He allegedly used the funds to buy drugs; a preliminary hearing is set for July 29.
IDAHO
FALLS — Richard Dee Bierma Jr., 42, has been accused of stealing
thousands from the elderly man he lived with and cared for.
Bierma
has been charged with one count of exploitation of a vulnerable adult
over $1,000, one charge of criminal possession of a financial
transaction card and one charge of grand theft.
Court documents
say the 73-year-old victim reported to police that $5,784 was taken from
his bank account and that there were 12 unauthorized withdrawals from
an ATM at U.S. Bank on 1st Street in Idaho Falls.
Officers
obtained a warrant to access bank records and video footage, but could
only verify that $5,120 was part of the unauthorized withdrawals.
In
surveillance footage from February, officers observed what appeared to
be the same man accessing the victim's account at the ATM each time,
documents report.
The victim identified the man in the video as Bierma, the man who'd been living with him.
The victim confirmed to police officers that he had never given Bierma permission to have or use his credit or debit cards.
Bierma was detained and taken to the Idaho Falls Police Department for questioning, documents report.
During
interviews, Bierma told police that he drove the victim around and
picked up his groceries. As a general rule, he said he'd never given
Bierma permission to make withdrawals from an ATM, but that he would
drive the victim to the bank and the victim would make withdrawals,
police said.
Bierma later confessed to police that he withdrew
the funds to pay for drugs, according to court records. But Bierma
claimed the victim was aware of it and had given him permission.
Bierma did admit to being the one shown in photos and videos at the ATM, according to police.
Bierma has been appointed a public defender. The Idaho State Public Defender's Office does not comment on active cases.
Bierma is set to appear in court for his preliminary hearing July 29.
The Key Takeaways for this article
were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed
by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) -
Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that an Upstate nursing assistant
has been charged with stealing from a vulnerable adult.
A release from Attorney General Wilson states that 31-year-old Constanza Athena Tate, of Anderson, has been charged with:
Exploitation of a vulnerable adult
Financial card fraud, valued at more than $500 in a six-month period
Constanza Athena Tate(Oconee County Detention Center)
The release states that a joint
investigation by the Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit
and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office found that Tate knowingly and
willfully exploited a vulnerable adult.
According
to investigators, Tate was employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant at
Seneca Health and Rehabilitation Center, where the victim resided.
On
Nov. 3, 2025, Tate fraudulently used the victim’s credit card number
without permission. Investigators determined that Tate used the card
number for purchases totaling more than $500 for her own personal gain.
The
release states that the victim qualified as a vulnerable adult under
South Carolina law during the period of the alleged misconduct.
Seneca Health and Rehabilitation Center
reported the suspected financial exploitation to law enforcement and
fully cooperated throughout the investigation, according to the release.
For
both charges, Tate could face up to 5 years in prison. The exploitation
charge carries a fine of up to $5,000. The fraud charge carries a fine
of up to $3,000, according to the release.
Tate was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center on Friday, the release said.
Just the other day, I had a text warning me to pay a fine or else I
was in trouble. The number, of course, looked like a randomly generated
Facebook password. Over time, I’ve learned to ignore certain calls,
delete certain texts, and yes, although this may sound rude, hang up on
the A.I. trying to sell me health insurance.
Scams have always existed since people could deceive each other, and
it just keeps evolving with new technology. In a surprising report by
the FBI, cryptocurrency crimes are on the rise, and taking billions of
dollars from consumers all around the nation. Texas was second in the
nation for the amount of money lost to cryptocurrency scams in 2025.
According to an FBI report, in 2025, Texas consumers lost 1 billion in cryptocurrency fraud scams. $56 million of that was attributed to scammers having consumers deposit cash in cryptocurrency kiosks. That $56 million belonged to a total 1200 Texans scammed out of a significant amount of cash.
Those interviewed about the scams report that they deposited
thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. One person reportedly put in
around $100,000. Completely losing their money. Only a few were able to
recover theirs.
The scam works like this: A consumer such as yourself gets a phone
call from someone claiming they are from the police, bank, sheriff’s
office, state agency, or other, and say that you either missed jury duty
and have to pay a fine, or have an outstanding balance on an account,
need to pay a toll violation, or whatever they can use that seems
serious enough that you need to pay immediatly or risk consequences.
Scammers will provide documents and files that seem legitimate to
trick consumers. They might even have personal info that they’ve
gathered from the dark web. Once a consumer believes them, scammers
direct their victims to withdraw cash and say they need to pay at a
specific kiosk. They might even claim it is the official payment center for whoever they are impersonating.
These kiosks, found in convenience stores, gas stations, grocery
stores, and other businesses, are cryptocurrency kiosks. They look like
ATMs, and you can find them where you might find most ATMs.
If a consumer has not yet realized they are being scammed, they are
directed to deposit the money, and their “fine” is covered. The cash is
converted into cryptocurrency and goes to different digital wallets.
Scammers will have the money bounce around with legitimate funds to look
legitimate and avoid detection. After about 36-48 hours, consumers have
no hope of recovering, and the money is lost.
Cryptocurrency kiosks are designed to allow people to convert cash
into cryptocurrency. There are reportedly 4000 around the state of
Texas, although with a lack of state oversight, it is not clear how many
there actually are. Those who use crypto have digital wallets. Once
cash is deposited, the consumer enters their digital wallet address.
While this seems a legitimate way for consumers of digital currency
to transfer their hard cash for bitcoin, these cryptocurrency kiosks
have become a staple for scammers, since these kiosks are not regulated
by the state.
According to the Texas Tribune,
in an article interviewing people who had been scammed, “Cryptocurrency
is increasingly preferred by scammers because it is not subject to the
same banking laws as traditional currency — especially in how it can be
transferred internationally, where most scammers are based, according to
law enforcement.”
There are mixed solutions proposed by Texas Legislators. While some
seek to ban the kiosks altogether, others are skeptical about the state
interfering in something that deals with the market.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has charged the Criminal
Jurisprudence Committee in the Texas House to consider legislation on: “Fraud and Financial Exploitation of Elderly and Vulnerable Texans:
Examine trends related to the crimes of fraud, financial exploitation,
and abuse targeting elderly and vulnerable Texans, including crimes
involving telecommunications and emerging technologies “
Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has charged the Business and Commerce Committee of the Texas Senate to look into “Fostering Financial Technology Innovation:
Evaluate the future of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency in the
state of Texas and assess Texas’s coordination with federal rules.
Assess how the state’s financial regulatory agencies respond to emerging
financial technologies and business models, while prioritizing the
protection of consumers. Examine the prevalence of virtual currency
kiosks in Texas and make recommendations to support their use while
protecting vulnerable Texans from scams.”
Texas has no regulatory oversight for crypto kiosk stands around the
state. With a lack of an enforcement policy, Texas officials who can
enforce cryptocurrency crimes are not trained to. There is a policy on
market frameworks for cryptocurrency in the state of Texas. Texas has
even bought a cryptocurrency reserve. But when it comes to fraud, Texas
falls behind other states in meaningful legislation to protect
consumers, especially from cryptocurrency kiosk scams.
Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center states that the machines
are mostly used for scams. Different Texas departments and legislators
acknowledge they need better oversight regulations, while some local
officials around the state would prefer Texas to ban these kiosks
completely, as other states have done.
According to the FBI:
“In 2025, the IC3 received more than 13,400 complaints reporting the
use of cryptocurrency kiosks, with losses over $388 million — a 23%
increase in complaints and a 58% increase in losses from 2024. More than
half of the complaints involved individuals over 50, with losses over
$302 million.”
It is important to report scams. Many do not report out of feeling
embarrassed for being tricked. But we should not have that type of
culture. Reportedly, 1 in 4 people have been scammed in their lifetime.
Scammers target everyone, and they get more advanced in tricking us by
the day. They will provide documents that look real, reveal they know
personal information, and can make phone numbers look legitimate. People
of all ages need to be vigilant against scammers.
According to News From the States: “No bank or government agency,
including a court, police department, or licensing board, will ask for
cryptocurrency or request payment through a crypto kiosk. If asked to do
so, contact your local authorities.”
Lastly, if you are not sure if a phone call, text, or email is
legitimate or not, contact the official offices (courts, police
departments, DMVs, etc.) the person claims to represent.
The FBI has a fact sheet on how to prevent yourself from getting scammed, or how to identify if you or others are being scammed out of money:
“Spotting Indicators of Cryptocurrency Kiosk Scam
Individuals reporting unsolicited contact and conversations by
email, social media applications, or phone with individuals offering
services or requesting payments in cryptocurrency,
Individuals in possession of QR code documentation that they cannot explain or make themselves,
Individuals making large cash withdrawals, especially for the first time, and requesting currency in large bill denominations,
Individuals exhibiting confusion or nervous behavior when asked
general questions about the purpose of a cash withdrawal, needing to pay
a large expense in cash, or having a new financial advisor who requires
cash,
Individuals taking large sums of cash to a location with a cryptocurrency kiosk,
Individuals talking on cell phones and exhibiting signs of confusion
while making cash withdrawals from a financial institution or
attempting to operate a cryptocurrency kiosk, and
Individuals lingering at cryptocurrency kiosks and/or aiding individuals operating the kiosk.
Tips for Protecting Yourself
Do not send payment to someone you have only spoken to online, even
if you believe you have established a relationship with the individual.
Do not follow instructions from someone you have never met to scan a QR code and send payment via a cryptocurrency kiosk.
Do not respond to a caller who claims to be a representative of a
company and who requests personal information or demands cryptocurrency.
Contact the entity directly for verification.
Do not respond to a caller from an unknown telephone number who identifies as a person you know and requests cryptocurrency.
Practice caution when an entity states they can only accept
cryptocurrency and identifies as the government, law enforcement, a
legal office, or a utility company. No legitimate law enforcement or
government official will call to demand payment via a cryptocurrency
kiosk.
If you are using a cryptocurrency kiosk and the kiosk operator calls
you to explain that your transactions are consistent with fraud and
advises you to stop sending money, you should stop or cancel the
transaction.
If you send funds via a cryptocurrency kiosk, be sure to keep any receipts or cryptocurrency transaction documentation.
Report It
If you believe you have been the victim of a scam involving a
cryptocurrency kiosk, in addition to filing police reports with your
local police department, file a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov. Please provide the following information, if available.
The transaction ID (TXID), wallet address where funds were sent, and location of the cryptocurrency kiosk.
Any information related to the subject, such as phone numbers, email addresses, domains, or aliases.
Author: District Attorney
Date: 7/15/2026 10:12 AM
District Attorney Dan Dow announced today
that Boaz Winslow Brigham and Malachy Damien Hayes, both residents of
Arroyo Grande, were sentenced for the brutal and unprovoked attack on a
sleeping homeless man in the middle of the night in March 2026.
Boaz Winslow Brigham (21) and Malachy Damien
Hayes (18) were sentenced on July 13, 2026, in San Luis Obispo County
Superior Court after each admitted to violently attacking an elderly,
homeless man as he slept in a public park in Arroyo Grande. Brigham
pleaded guilty and Hayes pleaded no contest to felony elder abuse, and
each admitted a great-bodily-injury enhancement and multiple aggravating
factors. The enhancement makes the crime a serious and violent felony -
a strike - under California's Three Strikes law.
The shocking crime was committed at approximately 1:30 in the morning
while the homeless victim slept in a park under an outdoor picnic area
that was under video surveillance. According to police reports and
surveillance video reviewed during the investigation, at approximately
1:30 a.m. on March 20, 2026, Hayes and Brigham walked together to Elm
Street Park, where the victim, Douglas Mark, was asleep in the park
gazebo.
Surveillance footage showed Hayes approach Mr. Mark as he slept,
stand over him, and urinate on him until Mr. Mark awoke. Mr. Mark told
officers he was roused by liquid splashing on his face and body. As Mr.
Mark struggled to his feet, Hayes advanced on him and began punching him
in the head and face. Brigham then walked into view and joined the
attack, with the two continuing to punch and kick Mr. Mark in the head,
face, and body while he lay on the ground - all while Brigham
continuously video-recorded the assault on his cell phone.
The force of the beating was such that Hayes' shoe flew off his foot
as he kicked Mr. Mark in the head; Hayes paused to retrieve and put the
shoe back on before returning to kick Mr. Mark in the head again.
Brigham also returned to kick Mr. Mark in the head a second time.
Officers later observed what appeared to be dried blood on Hayes' shoe
and knuckles, as well as swelling consistent with a hematoma on
Brigham's hand, injuries consistent with repeatedly striking the
victim.
Records recovered from the defendants' phones further show that
during and after the attack, the two young men could be heard laughing,
egging each other on, and celebrating the assault - including
high-fiving one another afterward - and that they later shared video of
the incident with others through Snapchat, boasting about what they had
done.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office argued for the
maximum sentence available under California law: seven years in state
prison. However, after considering and following the sentencing factors
published in the Rules of Court, the San Luis Obispo County Probation
Department recommended probation with one year in County Jail rather
than a state prison commitment.
Judge Crystal T. Seiler considered the arguments of counsel, the
Probation Department's reports, letters submitted on the defendants'
behalf, and the victim's statement to the court before ruling.
The Court found that the statutory presumption favoring state prison
for a defendant who willfully inflicts great bodily injury was overcome
by each defendant's youth, lack of significant prior criminal history,
and willingness to accept responsibility by pleading to the charges.
The Court suspended the five-year state prison sentence for each
defendant – a two-year base term on the elder abuse count plus a
consecutive three-year enhancement – and instead placed both defendants
on formal probation for four years, conditioned on serving 364 days in
County Jail. The defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of
the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff to begin their jail sentence.
As a special condition of probation, both defendants are barred from
using any social media platform, including Facebook, Instagram, X
(Twitter), Snapchat, and Reddit, for the full four-year term of their
probation. Given the defendants' age and the outsized role social media
plays among their peer group, compliance with this restriction is
expected to be a significant challenge for both men.
At sentencing, the victim addressed the Court directly. According to the District Attorney's office, he told the Court, “For
this to be considered probation is outrageous ... my eyes were filled
of blood, [I] get headaches ... have a brain injury ... What if I died?
My brain is broken, it doesn't work right, I don't think right ... They
ruined my brain.” He also said of the defendants, “They are devoid of any conscience,” and described watching video of the attack for the first time while in Court at the sentencing hearing as “hard to believe.”
District Attorney Dan Dow issued the following statement:
"This elderly man was homeless, asleep, and completely
defenseless when he was humiliated and brutally beaten, leaving him with
a permanent brain injury. He was especially vulnerable, and he is
entitled to protection and dignity as a human being. Our office sought a
state prison sentence because this predatory, recorded attack on a
sleeping victim warranted the strongest response the law allows.
Although we are disappointed that probation was granted instead of
prison, we respect the Court’s authority and will continue to stand with
victims and advocate for firm, just consequences for violent
offenders.”
Restitution to the victim remains pending; a Restitution Status
Determination hearing is scheduled for both defendants on September 14,
2026, in Department 9.
This case was investigated by the Arroyo Grande Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Julie Antos. Victim
Witness services have been provided by Victim Advocate Tristan Milledge
and Witness Coordinator Eloiza Basinger.
MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WALA)
- The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office arrested three people following a
months long investigation into the alleged financial exploitation of an
elderly Mobile County resident.
A third suspect is being sought.
The
investigation began in November 2025 after the victim’s daughter
reported concerns that her elderly father had been targeted through
fraud, extortion, forgery and theft, according to the sheriff’s office.
Detectives
and the agency’s Special Investigations Unit reviewed financial
records, executed court-authorized subpoenas, served search warrants for
electronic devices and conducted interviews with victims and witnesses.
Investigators say three people allegedly worked together between 2019
and 2025 to obtain money, real property and other assets from the
victim.
Authorities
said about $659,314 in assets — including the estimated value of two
properties — was supported by available evidence and included in the
criminal charges. Investigators believe the total loss approached $1
million, but said only losses supported by evidence and within legal
timeframes were charged.
The Mobile County District Attorney’s Office approved the following felony charges:
Melissa
Lynn Hobden: two counts of financial exploitation of the elderly (first
degree), three counts of theft of property (first degree), and one
count of identity theft.
Michael Lewis
Crouch: one count of theft of property (first degree), one count of
attempted theft of property (first degree), and two counts of criminal
possession of a forged instrument.
Nora
Powe Hobden: one count of theft of property (first degree) and one
count of financial exploitation of the elderly (first degree).
The
sheriff’s office said its Special Operations Unit executed a
residential search warrant around 6 a.m. July 15, 2026, at 5515 Darring
Street in Satsuma. Deputies took Melissa Hobden and Crouch into custody
without incident, authorities said.
During
the search, investigators recovered multiple cell phones, a laptop, a
notebook believed to contain financial records, mail, handwritten
documents, legal paperwork and property deeds containing the victim’s
personal identifying information, the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities said Nora Powe Hobden was arrested at a separate location on Middle Road on July 15.
Sheriff
Paul Burch said the case underscores the agency’s focus on protecting
vulnerable residents. “Financial crimes against our elderly citizens are
among the most heartbreaking crimes we investigate because they involve
the abuse of trust,” Burch said in a statement.
The investigation remains active and additional charges are possible, the sheriff’s office said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office at (251) 574-8633.
