DELAFIELD, Wis. — Five people face felony charges in Waukesha County after investigators linked them to a jury-duty scam that persuaded a Delafield resident to send $15,000 in Bitcoin, according to Delafield police. The victim reported the fraud in 2024 after receiving a call from someone posing as a Waukesha County sheriff’s deputy. The caller claimed the resident had failed to appear for jury duty and could be arrested unless money was sent immediately. Believing the caller, the victim deposited the money at two cryptocurrency ATMs inside Pick ’n Save stores. The resident later told police the scam was convincing because they never expected to be deceived in that way. Investigators identified Derrick Posey as the alleged caller. Police said Posey was being held in federal custody in South Carolina when investigators connected a confiscated cellphone to call records involving the Delafield victim. “Through the investigation, I uncovered a list, or several lists, containing at least 315 names” with enough information to support identity theft, Delafield Officer Kimberly Kuehl said. Of the people investigators contacted, most said they had been victims of identity theft or financial crimes, she said. Kuehl estimated the broader operation’s losses at nearly $500,000. She said the victims ranged across age groups but were targeted for a common reason: They wanted to resolve what they believed was a legal problem quickly and do the right thing. Posey is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, theft by false representation and impersonating a peace officer. Kimberly Jones was arrested in Mississippi the week before Sept. 21 and faces one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, police said. Virginia Rios was arrested in Des Moines and faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit theft by false representation. Jones and Rios are expected to be extradited to Waukesha County. Katrinia Wyche, of Delray Beach, Florida, and Allissa Walls, of Hiram, Georgia, each face one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and have warrants for their arrests, according to police. The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office has warned residents about spoofed calls from people claiming to be deputies. The department said it will not call to request personal or financial information, credit card details, gift cards or payment through a kiosk to avoid immediate arrest for failing to appear in court or for jury service. The Federal Bureau of Prisons said potential criminal activity or misconduct at its facilities is investigated to determine whether disciplinary action or criminal prosecution is appropriate. The agency did not answer specific questions about Posey, citing privacy, safety and security concerns. The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.