The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (SCSO), working jointly with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), arrested Sammy David Nelson, 39, and Brittany Alexandria Nelson, 34, both of Margate; Jerome Dale Senior II, 41, of Plantation; Linda Joyce Hugley, 65, of Lauderdale Lakes; and Karlyn Marketa Campbell, 39, of Pompano Beach – all members of the Nelson Group. These five defendants face charges of organized scheme to defraud, racketeering, grand theft, and criminal use of personal identification information. Sammy and Brittany Nelson face additional charges for money laundering.
In 2022, SCSO opened an investigation after receiving multiple identity theft reports from residents. The victims reported that their personal identification had been compromised, and credit card accounts were opened without their consent at various financial institutions.
Sheriff’s office investigators confirmed the approval of more than 200 suspicious credit card applications through these financial institutions. Additionally, the institutions identified several individuals (through multiple groups) who appeared to be conspiring in this scheme. Investigators determined that the online criminal enterprise primarily operated out of the home of Sammy and Brittany Nelson, who recruited participants for their group from their friends and family.