Karen Nicole Newman : “Dunnellon Woman Jailed for Stolen Bail Bond Payments”

A 45-year-old woman from Dunnellon has been arrested on charges of fraud and grand theft after allegedly keeping money that was intended to bail another woman out of jail.

On April 14, 2024, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy spoke with a female victim who reported that while she was incarcerated at Marion County Jail, two women had contacted her daughter claiming they would post bond for her. One of these women was identified as Karen Nicole Newman, as per the arrest report.

Newman, along with an unidentified accomplice, requested that the victim’s daughter, referred to as a witness in the report, send them $895 via Cash App to bail the victim out. However, the victim never authorized Newman or anyone else to contact the witness about sending money through Cash App. The victim’s relative eventually posted bail for her.

After being released from jail, the victim demanded that Newman and the accomplice return the money. They claimed that another individual had stolen and spent the funds before they could use them for bail. However, on April 22, 2024, the victim spoke with Newman again, who agreed to repay her. Records from the victim’s Cash App account showed three payments made to Newman in March 2024, totaling $895.

The witness confirmed sending the payments to Newman and that Newman acknowledged receiving them. An investigation revealed that Newman’s account had received the payments, which were all paid out on March 25, 2024.

Newman misled the witness by falsely claiming she needed funds for the victim’s bail, despite never contributing any money. This indicated an intent to deceive the witness into giving her money. On June 4, 2024, Newman was arrested and admitted to receiving the $895. She claimed she would repay the victim.

Newman is currently held at Marion County Jail on a $5,000 bond, facing charges of grand theft and fraud. A court date is scheduled for July 9, 2024, at 9 a.m., according to jail records.