Woman Sentenced to Prison for Impersonation Scam Targeting Missouri Victims

Jefferson Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A woman who helped scammers pose as law enforcement officers has been sentenced to two years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced 33-year-old Ariel Burden to 24 months after she admitted her role in a wire fraud scheme that targeted multiple victims, including a Jefferson County resident. Federal prosecutors say Burden worked with a group that used spoofed phone numbers to appear as local police departments. The callers told victims they had outstanding warrants and threatened arrest unless thousands of dollars were paid to a bondswoman.

Burden, using the alias “Jennifer Davis,” met victims in person, collected the money, and issued fake receipts with false citation numbers. One Jefferson County victim paid $12,000 after scammers claimed to be with the Crystal City Police Department. In total, Burden admitted to defrauding three victims out of $28,000.

Judge Autrey ordered her to repay the stolen money. Burden, who is from the Atlanta area, pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.

After serving her sentence, she will be transferred to Georgia, where she could face revocation of probation in an aggravated battery case.