A Hardy woman has pleaded guilty to charges linked to an alleged scheme designed to defraud elderly and disabled individuals, court records show.
Patti Lynn Dunlap, 73, appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court on Monday, where her case was continued until November. During the session, a request was made to allow her $50,000 bond to be posted through a bail bond company instead of cash. Dunlap was released later that afternoon.
Dunlap was arrested in July after traveling from Hardy to Mountain Home to allegedly collect $45,000 from a supposed victim. However, the intended target, described as an elderly individual using a wheelchair, turned out to be a law enforcement decoy, and the money was fake. Authorities took Dunlap into custody during the operation.
According to court documents, Dunlap informed Mountain Home authorities that she previously worked as an emergency dispatcher for over two decades. Investigators believe she was assisting in a larger operation that has reportedly impacted multiple victims in the region.
Officials have arrested several other suspects, often referred to as "money mules," believed to be involved in similar scams across the area. Many of those arrested have been identified as foreign nationals and were reportedly transferred to federal immigration officials following their arrests.
The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement agencies encourage anyone with information about potential scams to come forward.