2 California co-conspirators arrested in $487K theft from Orange City woman

Date Added: July 22, 2025 3:05 pm

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office has charged 2 defendants with defrauding an Orange City woman out of almost half a million dollars.

Jason Hellawell, 56, was taken into custody in his home state of California while co-conspirator Ariel Wang, 33, traveled to Volusia County on Monday and turned herself in.

Hellawell is charged with grand theft over $100,000 with additional charge(s) pending. Wang is charged with grand theft, money laundering and organized scheme to defraud.

The 61-year-old victim in this case believed she was sending a wire transfer of $487,350 to her accountant for taxes owed. In reality, her accountant’s email had been compromised by scammers.

Detectives with the VSO Financial Crimes Unit tracked down the suspects and seized bank accounts. Additional charges are possible from other jurisdictions as investigations continue.