Man accused of stealing $663K from City of Dunedin after posing as contractor
DUNEDIN, Fla. - A Utah man faces grand theft charges after investigators say he emailed the City of Dunedin posing as a contractor and stole more than $663,000.
The backstory:
According to an arrest affidavit filed by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the city received an email in June 2024 from someone claiming to represent Asphalt Paving Systems, which has done road work for the city for years. The email requested that the city stop using paper checks to make payments and use the automated clearing house (ACH) system instead.
The complaint shows that the city sent $663,321.30 to the new account, which was processed on June 20, 2024.
On July 8, 2024, the city received another email from the same address that read "FRAUD ALERT…YOU PAID THE WRONG ACCOUNT," at which point the city contacted Asphalt Paving Systems. The company said it had not requested nor received any electronic payment.
Months later, investigators were able to identify the account owner as George Barlow, who is now 41.
Mugshot of George Barlow. Courtesy: Pinellas County Jail.
According to the complaint, Barlow spent, withdrew or transferred more than $514,000 by the end of July 2024. Bank of America later froze the account and returned $148,523 to the City of Dunedin.
Investigators later arrested Barlow and extradited him to Pinellas County to face a felony grand theft charge. Jail records show he's being held without bond.
The Source: This story was written with information from an arrest affidavit filed in Pinellas County, along with Pinellas County Jail records.
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