A 29-year-old Texas woman faces fraud, theft and money laundering charges in Nashville after police said she took part in a scheme that pressured people into paying fake bonds and fees for inmates in the Metro jail.
Metro Nashville police said 29-year-old Stephanie Banhart was booked into the Metro Jail on Tuesday after being extradited from Texas. She remains jailed on $40,000 bond.
How the scheme worked
Detectives in the Police Department’s Fraud Unit spent months on the case. Police said it began on February 23, when a 69-year-old man went to post bond for a family member.
The man then got a call from someone who claimed to be with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office. The caller told him he had to pay more money or his family member would stay in jail, police said.
The man sent $1,275 to an account that investigators later linked to Banhart.
Police did not say how many other people may have been targeted. They also did not say whether anyone else is under investigation.
Police warning
Police stressed that no member of law enforcement will ever ask for money. They urged the public to be careful about giving personal information or money to anyone who is not a confirmed and trusted source.
Anyone who gets a call like this about a relative in custody can hang up and contact the jail or the agency directly, using a number they have verified on their own. Police did not give that advice in their release.
The charges are accusations. Banhart has not been convicted of any crime.
More local crime coverage is available on the Davidson County topic page.
