On September 28th, 2022, the Hendersonville Police Department Flex Team discovered a suspicious individual in the Glenbrook Shopping Center who was later determined to be involved in a check cashing scheme.
The subject was discovered to be from Nashville, homeless, and suffering from the aftereffects of a Traumatic Brain Injury. The subject was transported to Hendersonville by two individuals, later identified as Marquis Lashawn Watford (28) and Chelsie Lynn Walker (29) of North Carolina, with the promise of work and payment.
This is consistent with a criminal trend where individuals pick up someone in the homeless community and force them to cash fraudulent checks after which they leave them with little to no payment.
Hendersonville Detectives were able to locate the subjects in Paducah, Kentucky with the help of the Paducah Police Department.
Walker was taken into custody at the time for outstanding warrants not related to the incident in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
On September 30th, 2022, Hendersonville Detectives obtained warrants on both Watford and Walker for Human Trafficking, Kidnapping, Criminal Simulation, and Attempted Theft Over $1,000.
With the help of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Walker’s vehicle was located and stopped on I-40 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Walker was taken into custody.
Walker is currently being held in the Sumner County Jail on a $147,000 bond. As of October 7th, 2022, Watford is still at large but believed to be in the Fayetteville, North Carolina area.
Photos of the subjects are attached to this release.
