Georgia inmate accused of elaborate scheme to scam Florida hunters from behind bars, FWC says

Rodney Edward Smith, a Georgia prison inmate, was extradited to Florida to face charges that he ran a hunting lease fraud scheme from behind bars, targeting hunters across 15 Florida counties, according to information provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Smith, 39, of Chatsworth, Georgia, was extradited from Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Georgia, to Florida on Aug. 16 on a warrant connected to the scheme. Investigators with the FWC filed four felony charges against him on May 7 in Gilchrist County.

According to the FWC, Smith was already incarcerated at Macon State Prison on false imprisonment and other charges when he ran the scheme. 

Officials allege that by using smuggled cell phones, multiple online aliases, social media profiles and dozens of phone numbers, Smith posted fake hunting lease advertisements for properties that he did not own or control, the FWC said.

A hunting lease is an agreement between a landowner and a hunter that allows access to private land for hunting. 

Smith allegedly negotiated lease terms and collected deposits from victims across 15 Florida counties between July 1, 2025 and April 30, defrauding hunters out of thousands of dollars.

Smith faces one count of fraudulently offering property for sale or lease, a first-degree felony, along with three third-degree felony counts: scheme to defraud less than $20,000, illegal use of a two-way communication device and cheating. His bond was set at $700,000.

"By offering fraudulent hunting leases, he not only stole from Florida people, but also damaged the trust between hunters and landowners that is essential to Florida's hunting tradition," said Lt. Col. Randy Bowlin, FWC deputy director of law enforcement over Investigations and Intelligence.

FWC credited the Florida Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Georgia Department of Corrections and the Dalton Police Department in Georgia for their help with the investigation.

The case is now pending in Gilchrist County.