GILCHRIST COUNTY, Fla. — A Georgia inmate is accused of using smuggled cellphones and fake online identities to scam Florida hunters with fraudulent hunting leases.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Rodney Edward Smith, 39, of Chatsworth, Georgia, targeted hunters between July 2025 and April 2026 while incarcerated at Macon State Prison.
Investigators said Smith used multiple aliases, social media profiles and dozens of phone numbers to advertise hunting access to properties he did not own or control.
Smith allegedly negotiated lease agreements and collected deposits from victims across 15 Florida counties, defrauding hunters of thousands of dollars.
FWC filed charges against Smith in Gilchrist County on May 7. He was extradited from Georgia to Florida on Aug. 16 and faces four felony charges:
- Fraudulently offering property for sale or lease
- Scheme to defraud involving less than $20,000
- Illegal use of a two-way communication device
- Cheating
His bond was set at $700,000.
“By offering fraudulent hunting leases, he not only stole from Florida citizens, but also damaged the trust between hunters and landowners that is essential to Florida’s hunting tradition,” FWC Lt. Col. Randy Bowlin said.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution assisted with the case, along with the Georgia Department of Corrections and the Dalton Police Department.
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