A man accused of orchestrating an email scam and defrauding the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership (CEP) for over $100,000 has been sentenced to three decades of probation.
Christopher D. Hines, 36, was sentenced by Marion County Circuit Judge Barbara Kissner Kwatkosky to 30 years of probation on Tuesday, April 28.
As part of the agreement, Hines entered a plea of no contest to a charge of organized fraud of $50,000 or more, and adjudication was withheld. A second charge of grand theft of $100,000 or more was dropped by prosecutors.
The investigation into Hines’ alleged activities began in October 2024, when then-CEP Director Kevin Sheilley reported an email scam to the Ocala Police Department. Sheilley resigned from his position with the CEP in December 2024 to take on a similar role in Charleston, South Carolina.
According to arrest affidavits, before he left, Sheilley and his staff discovered that the CEP had been targeted by a fraudulent email that mimicked a legitimate vendor, Vancorjones Communications.
The email provided false wire instructions, directing the CEP’s CFO and Board Treasurer to transfer $142,500 to a Truist Bank account instead of the vendor’s actual account.
On October 7, 2024, the CFO and Board Treasurer of the CEP went to the Renaissance Bank at 1409 E Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala and wired approximately $142,500 into an account at Truist Bank that was eventually determined to be connected to Hines.
The CEP did not realize they had been defrauded until nearly three weeks later.
Detective R. Cespedes traced the fraudulent account to Mamabees Soulfood, a business registered in Texas by Hines’ sister, Leslie Tatum.
Tatum, who initially claimed she had no access to the account, eventually confessed that Hines had made her a proposition to make some money by opening bank accounts and signing blank checks for him.
Investigators discovered that the Truist mobile app used to manage the stolen funds was accessed by an email address and IP addresses directly linked to Hines’ residence in Irving, Texas.
Shortly after the wire transfer was received, thousands of dollars were distributed via checks and ATM withdrawals to various associates and logistics companies linked back to Hines.
A warrant was issued for Hines arrest and he was taken into custody on December 2, 2025.
Under the terms of his 30-year probation, Hines is required to make restitution to the victims at a rate of no less than $100 per month. He must also pay a $1.00 monthly fee to First Steps Incorporated and pay all court fines and costs to the Marion County Clerk’s Office.
Additionally, Hines is required to report to probation and the court’s payment plan department immediately. Hines was given credit for 14 days already served in jail following his initial arrest.
In Florida, organized fraud involving $50,000 or more is a first-degree felony which is punishable by up to a 30-year prison sentence. Similarly, the maximum sentence for grand theft of over $100,000 is 30 years in state prison, as well as a fine of up to $10,000 and 30 years of probation.
The Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, which is recognized as a 501 (c)6 non-profit, offers paid memberships to businesses in exchange for networking opportunities, ribbon-cutting events, and various marketing campaigns and tools.