Georgia Man Extradited Over $15,400 Bitcoin Jury Duty Scam in Bergen County

A Georgia man has been extradited to Bergen County, New Jersey, over his alleged involvement in a complex 'jury duty scam' that swindled a local resident out of more than $15,400.

The scheme began in July 2024 when a Bergen County resident reported receiving a threatening phone call from an individual claiming to be a Bergen County Sheriff's officer. The caller demanded that the victim deposit $15,400 into a Bitcoin ATM under the false pretense of clearing a fictitious bench warrant for missing jury duty.

Following a nearly two-year investigation by the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, authorities successfully tracked the digital and financial footprints to 25-year-old Maceo M. Duncan of Valdosta, Georgia. Members of the agency's Warrant Squad traveled to Georgia to extradite Duncan back to New Jersey, where he faces charges including theft by extortion, theft by deception, impersonating a law enforcement officer, conspiracy, and money laundering.

The Bergen County Sheriff's Office issued a stark warning regarding the persistence of telephone-based financial scams, reminding residents that legitimate law enforcement agencies will never demand immediate payments or request financial transactions via cryptocurrency, Bitcoin ATMs, or gift cards over the phone.