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HomeCrimeGainesville woman charged with scamming air conditioning customers out of $71k

Gainesville woman charged with scamming air conditioning customers out of $71k

September 9, 2024

Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Jessica Ann Lamkin, 38, of Gainesville, has been charged with swindling customers of Buckhalter Heating and Air out of $71k by asking them to pay cash and then keeping the money.

According to a sworn complaint filed by Alachua Police Department, between November 2022 and August 2023, Lamkin was employed by Buckhalter and engaged in a systematic scheme to defraud the company’s customers. As the office manager who took calls from customers, Lamkin allegedly used several different schemes to convince customers to give her cash. She allegedly told customers they could get discounts on leftover air conditioning units in the warehouse if they paid in cash and allegedly told customers that company policy was that cash was the preferred method of payment.

Lamkin allegedly met with customers at their homes or in parking lots of various businesses to collect the cash.

Judge James Colaw issued a warrant for Lamkin’s arrest on August 21 and set her bail at $25,000. She has no local criminal history. Court documents indicate a charge of grand theft in Brevard County in 2008, but no further details are available; she has not served any state prison sentences.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

  • I think we can all agree…what she did…was not cool.

    Sorry folks, I’m here for the rest of the week. Try the veal.

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      • Why do we have vagrants and panhandlers on the street corners? They’re all around D.C too…they’re giving them hot showers now too.

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        • No, because Dems let in 20 million renters, driving up prices. They don’t mind a dozen stuffing inside a 1/1, either.

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          • “the number of unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S. in 2022 was still below the peak of 12.2 million in 2007. The number of unauthorized immigrants from Mexico dropped to 4.0 million in 2022 from a peak of 6.9 million in 2007. Mexico has long been, and remains, the most common country of birth for unauthorized immigrants.” Pew Research Center
            Wasn’t that during the Bush’s reign of terror presidency?

  • I quite often wonder how people who swindle, let’s say $71,000 and get bail of $25,000. Seems like twice the swindled amount would be more reasonable.

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    • Right? And she only has to put up 10% of the bail amount to bounce. If she shows up for court and pleas, she probably only gets probation, a fine and restitution. And I’ll bet she stole more than $71,000. That’s all they have evidence on.

      Also, people, if a business sends their office worker to a parking lot to collect a cash payment from you? Something ain’t right.

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  • Catch and release…o my,
    Please start giving These people
    Some real prison sentences.
    These are high crimes and deserve at least three years behind Bars.

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  • For her to be a scam artist I think she should have fixed her strong chin them eyebrows and them nasty looking dookie lips I hope she gets real jail time because people like me who are on asthma treatments and they need their AC that’s a damn shame

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  • No surprise. All these redneck contractor businesses always hire a pretty woman that has no skills to be an “office manager”. They use the little head to think instead of the big head. If you’re going to hire a woman to work in your office, make sure she’s ugly as sin. They’re the ones who have skills that are useful in a business.

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