A Florida woman accused of posing as a bank representative to scam a senior citizen allegedly carried the scheme all the way to jail, where authorities said they found $3,200 in cash hidden inside her body.
Moniquie Love Turnbull, 31, of Miami, was arrested after Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies alleged she showed up at a senior citizen’s home pretending to work for the alleged victim’s bank.
The MCSO said Turnbull told the victim the account had been compromised and tried to obtain the person’s debit or credit card under the guise of disposing of it.
The alleged victim became suspicious and contacted law enforcement.
While deputies investigated, they received another call identifying Turnbull as a possible suspect in a similar case, according to the MCSO.
Deputies located Turnbull driving near Interstate 95 before she could leave Martin County and arrested her on fraud charges Monday during a traffic stop caught on MCSO bodycam video.
Turnbull faces charges of scheme to defraud, felony use of a two-way communication device and fraudulent use of a credit or debit card without consent involving a victim 60 or older, according to the MCSO.
The case took another turn after Turnbull was brought to jail.
Authorities said Turnbull entered the prison with $3,200 in cash lodged in her vagina.
“It’s not clear who the money was taken from, but for now, it’s accounted for and sealed in evidence,” the MCSO said in a social media post.
“Keep in mind, at some point the cash will be back in public circulation.”
Turnbull faces an additional charge of introduction of contraband into a prison.
Her bond was set at $500,000, the sheriff’s office said.
After the arrest, the MCSO warned people not to hand over credit cards, cash, gold or other valuables to anyone who unexpectedly shows up at a home claiming to represent a bank, financial institution, government agency or other organization.
Authorities advised anyone confronted with a similar situation not to allow the person inside or give them valuables and instead call 911.
