Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Theresa Ann Surratt, 43, of Newberry, was arrested yesterday after authorities said she collected $16,000 from co-workers by falsely claiming that her daughter and grandson had died in a car crash.
According to an investigation by an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy, the case began with a complaint from one of the alleged victims. The deputy determined that in the fall of 2024, Surratt told co-workers at Park Meadows Health & Rehabilitation that her daughter and grandson had been killed in an Ohio car accident. She allegedly said she needed financial help for travel, funeral expenses, and support while coping with the supposed tragedy.
The deputy reported that “numerous” co-workers received text messages from Surratt describing the crash and including photos of her daughter, grandson, and the wreck. Between November 28, 2024, and January 3, 2025, the victims reportedly sent Surratt more than $16,000.
The alleged scheme began to unravel when one co-worker searched for Surratt’s daughter online and found an obituary. The same co-worker also located the daughter’s social media account, where she was still posting photos of herself and her son. After contacting the daughter directly, the co-worker learned that the fatal crash story was false.
The deputy later spoke with the daughter, who confirmed there had been no deadly crash. Investigators also found that the crash photos Surratt allegedly shared were from a separate crash that happened in Utah in 2023. Business records from the obituary website reportedly showed that Surratt had submitted the obituary herself.
Surratt has been charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud victims of less than $20,000 and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. She has no local criminal history, and Judge Robert Groeb set bail at $25,000 in the arrest warrant.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
