SANDERSVILLE, Ga. — More than 200 victims from around the U.S. have come forward claiming they were scammed by Destiny Magoon, 32, of Sandersville, according to Mjr. Trey Burgamy with the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
In February, Burgamy says he received a call from Middle Circuit District Attorney Tripp Fitzner about Magoon and her business, Romeo and Juliette Keepsakes.
Hundreds of women sent in ashes of loved ones, hair from baby's first hair curls and breastmilk with hopes of being turned into DNA keepsakes like jewelry, rings, necklaces and breastmilk bears. It's made with the mother's breastmilk and mixed with a clear resin and molded into objects like a bear.
13WMAZ spoke to three women who say they were scammed by Magoon. They all have yet to receive their order, and they don't think they ever will.
Chrissy Rea is from Las Vegas, and she lost her daughter at 5 months old to leukemia in March 2011. She says she wanted something to remember her daughter by forever. She looked for a business that would make something special and found Romeo and Juliette Keepsakes.
Rea reached out to Magoon in October 2022, saw a ring that she wanted and submitted an order.
"I also included about a tablespoon of my daughter's ashes," Rea said.
Rea says she then saw other women complaining about Magoon and her business. She said women came forward expressing their concerns in a Facebook group about sending in their loved ones' ashes and not getting the keepsake. When Rae decided to reach out to ask about her order, Magoon said she shut down her business and Rae asked for her daughter's ashes back.
"I have not gotten anything back. All her emails are being returned as undeliverable," Rae said.
Donna Miller in Dallas, Texas said she wanted a breastmilk bear for her son and made her order to Magoon in October 2022. She said she began to donate her breastmilk throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Miller paid more than $100 for her breast milk bear and hoped it would come in 10 to 12 weeks.
"We had gone well past that it had been 6 months, 7 months and I messaged her and I saw she had taken a cruise," Miller said.
Miller reached out to Magoon and said the keepsake business owner gave her the runaround. She said she couldn't find baby formula for her own children.
"I sent her links to where she can get the formula mailed to her home. This is well past the formula shortage. This is now 2023; the formula shortage was in 2021," Miller said.
After Miller shared her concerns, other women in the DFW area reached out to her to tell her Magoons business was a scam.
In a public Facebook group, more than 500 women have expressed their concerns claiming they were also scammed by Magoon. They claimed they lost ashes and more. Burgamy said he didn't expect this to happen in Washington County.
"It went viral. I started out with one victim and within a week I was up to around 21, 22 victims. And as of right now, I'm well over 200 victims," Burgamy said.
Burgamy told 13WMAZ, that the smallest amount Magoon took was $22 and the highest was almost $1,500. Abby Hertz told 13WMAZ she sent the large amount for gold jewelry pieces with hopes of passing them down to her children.
"She wronged so many women, especially the women that send in ashes, that is what really gets me," Burgamy said.
Burgamy said since our interview Monday morning, 13 more victims have called him. He expects more to come forward throughout the investigation.
Magoon is in the Washington County jail charged with 12 counts of theft by deception.