Georgia Man Thought He’d Found His Future Wife, But Police Say It Was a South Carolina Man

ATHENS, Georgia — A man in Georgia thought he had met his future wife. His relatives, however, were convinced the woman at the center of the relationship was not real.

As the family tried to persuade him that he was being “catfished,” the situation reportedly caused deep strain and conflict at home. 

According to Athens-Clarke County police, the twist came when the suspected catfish contacted authorities while posing as the victim, accusing the family of harassment.

Those reports eventually led detectives to unravel what they describe as a complex catfishing operation involving stolen photos, fake personas, several phone numbers, suspected voice-changing tools and the possible use of artificial intelligence.

Police accused Caleb Jonquay Mills, 25, of Taylors, South Carolina, of posing as “Hailey Morello,” a purported sheriff’s deputy working in Florida.

The victim believed Morello was his fiancée, despite never meeting “her” in person.

Investigators said Mills used photographs taken from the personal Facebook page of a real sheriff’s deputy in Florida to create the fictitious identity. Police believe he used fake social media accounts and technology that altered his voice to sound like a woman during telephone conversations.

The alleged deception was convincing enough that the victim sent money and allowed his fiancée to use his car. Investigators said the victim and Mills exchanged vehicles as part of the alleged fraudulent activity.

The case report does not explain how the online relationship began, how the pair became engaged or how much money was allegedly sent. Police said the scheme may have continued for months or years, but its exact duration remains unknown.

The victim’s family became suspicious of the online relationship and began conducting its own investigation into the person behind the “Hailey Morello” identity.

Family members eventually identified Mills as the person they believed was catfishing their loved one. They repeatedly tried to warn the victim, but police said he continued to believe the relationship was real.

Those warnings created tension between the victim and his family, according to the report.

The case began to unravel after police responded to a family dispute at the victim’s Timothy Road apartment on July 11. During that response, the victim’s supposed fiancée participated by speakerphone and identified herself as a law enforcement officer.

Investigators said the person on the phone sounded like a woman and appeared to be using voice-changing technology.

The following day, police said someone claiming to be the victim called an Athens-Clarke County police supervisor. The caller reported alleged harassment by the victim’s family and complained about how an officer treated the supposed fiancée and handled the situation.

Four days later, the same person called again to ask what action police had taken.

Investigators now allege Mills made both calls while pretending to be the victim.

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The police supervisor became suspicious after noticing the calls came from a South Carolina area code, not the telephone number police had on file for the victim.

The victim’s mother then told the officer she believed her son was being catfished and provided information the family had gathered about Mills.

The officer reviewed body-camera footage from the July 11 response and compared the supposed fiancée’s statements with the later calls made by the person claiming to be the victim. Although a voice-changing application appeared to have been used, the officer said the content and context of the calls sounded more like the supposed fiancée than the victim.

On July 20, the investigating officer went to the victim’s apartment to follow up.

The officer saw the victim’s vehicle arrive and park nearby. The driver initially remained inside the vehicle before pulling away and driving farther into the apartment complex, according to the report.

When the driver got out, the officer recognized him as Mills.

Police said Mills claimed his name was “Alex Morello” and told the officer that Caleb Mills was his brother. He allegedly refused to provide his date of birth and said the victim was dating one of his friends.

Officers detained Mills for allegedly providing a false name.

The investigator then called the victim and asked who had his car. The victim said his fiancée had it. The officer instructed the victim to call his fiancée. When he did, Mills’ phone rang. The victim’s photograph appeared on the phone’s screen, saved under the name “hubbs,” according to the report.

Investigators also called the number used to make the earlier complaints to police. Mills’ phone allegedly rang again. Police then informed the victim that the woman he believed was his fiancée was allegedly Mills. The report said the victim was “in shock.”

Investigators said Mills may have also been staying inside the victim’s apartment without his knowledge while the victim was away working. 

After being advised of his rights, Mills agreed to speak with investigators and made what the report described as “minor admissions,” but police said he provided little additional information.

Mills was arrested July 20 on charges of identity fraud involving fictitious identifying information, impersonating a public officer, giving a false name to law enforcement and two counts of making false statements in a government matter.

Police publicly released the arrest on a social media post on Thursday.

Police are asking anyone who believes they may have been targeted by Mills or another fraudulent operation to file a report.

The department also warned people to use caution when forming online relationships, especially when someone they have never met begins requesting money, gifts or other items.

“As technology and artificial intelligence continue to evolve, online scams and catfishing schemes can become increasingly sophisticated,” the department said.