DUNEDIN, Fla. — A Utah man is facing serious charges after allegedly defrauding the City of Dunedin out of more than $663,000 by posing as a longtime contractor.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, 41-year-old George Barlow sent a fraudulent email in June 2024, impersonating a representative of Asphalt Paving Systems — a company known for its road work with the city. The message requested a switch from paper checks to Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers.
Believing the request to be legitimate, the city transferred $663,321.30 to the new bank account on June 20, 2024. But on July 8, another email from the same address sounded the alarm: “FRAUD ALERT…YOU PAID THE WRONG ACCOUNT.” When the city contacted Asphalt Paving Systems, the company confirmed it had not requested nor received any ACH payments.
Investigators later traced the fraudulent account to George Barlow, who had already spent or transferred over $514,000 by the end of July. Bank of America froze the account, and approximately $148,000 was recovered and returned to the city.
Barlow was arrested, extradited to Florida, and is now being held without bond in Pinellas County Jail on a felony grand theft charge.
Authorities warn municipalities and businesses to remain vigilant about verifying payment method changes, especially those involving large sums of money.
