Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Jessica Ann Lamkin, 38, of Gainesville, has been charged with swindling customers of Buckhalter Heating and Air out of $71k by asking them to pay cash and then keeping the money.

According to a sworn complaint filed by Alachua Police Department, between November 2022 and August 2023, Lamkin was employed by Buckhalter and engaged in a systematic scheme to defraud the company’s customers. As the office manager who took calls from customers, Lamkin allegedly used several different schemes to convince customers to give her cash. She allegedly told customers they could get discounts on leftover air conditioning units in the warehouse if they paid in cash and allegedly told customers that company policy was that cash was the preferred method of payment.

Lamkin allegedly met with customers at their homes or in parking lots of various businesses to collect the cash.

Judge James Colaw issued a warrant for Lamkin’s arrest on August 21 and set her bail at $25,000. She has no local criminal history. Court documents indicate a charge of grand theft in Brevard County in 2008, but no further details are available; she has not served any state prison sentences.

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.