Two Florida Men Charged After Deputies Say Fake Bank and 'FBI' Callers Told a Giles County Resident to Leave $10,000 in a Mailbox

Published Nov. 12, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

The call, according to the Giles County, Virginia, Sheriff's Office, came from someone claiming to work for Woodforest Bank. The caller said the bank needed help investigating one of its own employees, and asked the resident to withdraw $10,000, seal it in an envelope and leave it in the mailbox at home. An "FBI agent," the caller said, would come by to collect it.

The resident called the sheriff's office instead. Early on Nov. 10, 2026, deputies and Pearisburg police arrested two Florida men in a car near the home. Rakeem Hughey-Collier, 20, of Miami, and Pursell Shelton Bauer, 24, of Jacksonville, are charged with felony false-pretenses offenses and were being held without bond, according to the sheriff's office as reported by WDBJ7 and WSLS 10 [1][2].

Important: Hughey-Collier and Bauer are charged, not convicted. Both are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. We found no public statement from either man or a defense lawyer.

The bank's name was used by the callers, according to the sheriff's office. Nothing in the public reports suggests Woodforest Bank or any of its employees was involved.

What the sheriff's office alleges

According to the Giles County Sheriff's Office, as reported by WDBJ7 and WSLS [1][2]:

• Mon., Nov. 9, around 2 p.m.: The sheriff's office received a complaint about a phone call from a person claiming to be from Woodforest Bank. The caller asked the potential victim to help investigate a bank employee, then asked them to take $10,000 out of their account, put it in an envelope and place it in the mailbox at home. The caller said someone from the FBI would retrieve it.
• Tue., Nov. 10, about 1:30 a.m.: The potential victim called the sheriff's office again to report people standing at the mailbox outside the home, just south of Pearisburg.
• The pressure. At about the same time, the alleged fraudsters called the potential victim, said they could not find the money and asked the person to come outside with the cash. They allegedly threatened that FBI agents would come into the home if no one came out. A car sat in the roadway with its high beams on.
• The arrests. "Due to the calm demeanor and cooperation of the potential victim, Giles County Sheriff's Office deputies and Pearisburg Police officers were able to respond and apprehend the pair who were located in a car near the residence," the sheriff's office said, as quoted by WDBJ7 [1].

The reports do not say that any money was lost, and they do not identify who placed the calls. The investigation is ongoing, and the sheriff's office asked anyone with similar experiences to contact local law enforcement [1]. The resident is not named, and we do not name them.

The people charged and their status

Rakeem Hughey-Collier, 20, of Miami, Fla. Charged with one felony count of attempting to obtain money by false pretenses and one felony count of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretenses. Held without bond at the New River Valley Regional Jail [1][2].

Pursell Shelton Bauer, 24, of Jacksonville, Fla. Charged with one felony count of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretenses. Held without bond at the New River Valley Regional Jail [1][2].

Neither report gives a court date or case number.

The "help us catch a bad employee" pitch

This scheme combines two of the most common impersonation scripts. First, the caller poses as the target's own bank and says an insider is stealing from customers. That story explains why the target shouldn't talk to tellers or branch staff: they might be "in on it." Then a second authority, the FBI, is brought in to "collect evidence" or "secure" the cash. The mailbox drop is a variation on the in-person courier pickup: no meeting is needed, and the target may never see who takes the money.

The sheriff's office was blunt about it: "The FBI will not contact citizens to perform undercover investigations, nor would any reputable organization ever request that a citizen remove large sums of money from their bank account, whether through electronic or personal transactions" [1].

Red flags

These are general warning signs, not claims about any person beyond what the sheriff's office alleges.

• Your "bank" asks you to help investigate an employee. Banks investigate their own staff; they don't recruit customers.
• Instructions to withdraw cash and leave it somewhere: a mailbox, a doorstep, a car, or with a courier.
• A hand-off to a second "agency," such as the FBI, the FTC or the Secret Service.
• Threats that agents will come into your home or that you'll be arrested.
• Calls at odd hours or repeated calls pushing you to act immediately.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Hang up and call your bank at the number on your card or statement.
2. Never put cash in a mailbox or hand it to anyone who claims to be an agent.
3. Call 911 or your local sheriff or police if someone shows up at your home to collect money, as this resident did. Don't go outside to meet them.
4. Report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
5. Warn older relatives. The National Elder Fraud Hotline is 1-833-372-8311.

Case status (as of Nov. 12, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Rakeem Hughey-Collier, 20, Miami, Fla.	Giles County, Va. (state court)	Arrested Nov. 10, 2026; charged with attempt and conspiracy to obtain money by false pretenses (felonies); held without bond; not convicted; presumed innocent	[1], [2]
Pursell Shelton Bauer, 24, Jacksonville, Fla.	Giles County, Va. (state court)	Arrested Nov. 10, 2026; charged with conspiracy to obtain money by false pretenses (felony); held without bond; not convicted; presumed innocent	[1], [2]

Statuses can change. The sheriff's office's original release was not located online; details are from local outlets that quote or summarize it.

The Giles General District Court case record, GC26004592-00, lists Hughey-Collier as charged with attempt to obtain money by false pretenses (Code § 18.2-178), with an offense date of Nov. 9, 2026, an arrest date of Nov. 10, 2026, a custody status, and a preliminary hearing listed for Dec. 15, 2026. We did not find a corresponding public docket excerpt for Bauer, and we did not find the sheriff's original posting on a county website; the mailbox narrative above comes from the sheriff's office as reported by WDBJ, WSLS and WSET.

Sources

1. Jeff Singer, "Two arrested in Giles County fraud scheme, accused of trying to get $10k from victim," WDBJ7, Nov. 10, 2026 (citing the Giles County Sheriff's Office). https://www.wdbj7.com/2026/11/10/two-arrested-giles-county-fraud-scheme-after-allegedly-trying-get-10k-victim/
2. "Two arrested following $10k fraud attempt in Giles County," WSLS 10, Nov. 10, 2026 (citing the Giles County Sheriff's Office). https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2026/11/10/two-arrested-following-10k-fraud-attempt-in-giles-county/
3. Kaylee Shipley, "2 arrested after scam, Giles County deputies say," WSET, Nov. 10, 2026 (citing the Giles County Sheriff's Office). https://wset.com/news/local/2-arrested-after-scam-giles-county-deputies-say-rakeem-hughey-collier-pursell-shelton-bauer-november-2026
4. Giles General District Court, Virginia Online Case Information System, case GC26004592-00, Commonwealth v. Rakeem Hughey-Collier (filed Nov. 11, 2026; charge of attempt to obtain money by false pretenses, Code § 18.2-178; offense date Nov. 9, 2026; arrest date Nov. 10, 2026; status: custody; preliminary hearing listed for Dec. 15, 2026).

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