Shaniyah Dove Arrested in Wake County Duke Energy Fraud; Nearly $500,000 Lost

Shaniyah R. Dove, 29, was arrested Feb. 18, 2026, and charged with three counts of felony identity theft and one count of felony conspiracy in a months‑long Wake County Sheriff’s Office investigation into fraudulent Duke Energy accounts that investigators say cost the utility $495,904.62. The WCSO described Dove as the third person arrested in the case.

The investigation began when Duke Energy representatives contacted the Wake County Sheriff’s Office on July 22, 2025, reporting that “numerous accounts were opened in the name of living and deceased customers without their knowledge,” and that those actions led to approximately $495,904.62 in losses to the company. Sheriff Willie Rowe said, “The months-long investigative work by WCSO investigators demonstrates our commitment and determination to resolve this case and ensure those responsible are held accountable. We will continue to work to safeguard the residents and businesses in Wake County.” The WCSO says the probe is still ongoing.

Investigators previously arrested 36‑year‑old Rafael Stefan Williams; WCSO obtained arrest warrants and took Williams into custody and processed him into the Wake County Detention Center on October 14, 2025. The WCSO’s charging list for Williams includes “four counts of obtaining property by false pretense valued at $100,000.00 or more, one count of obtaining property by false pretense, five counts of financial transaction fraud, five counts of accessing computers, and 19 counts of identity theft.”

A second suspect, 39‑year‑old Dazmyn Person, was arrested on December 18, 2025, and charged with “nine counts of exploitation of an older adult or disabled adult from a position of trust, nine counts of identity theft, one count of felony conspiracy, and one count of trafficking stolen identities,” according to the WCSO release.

Local reporting called Dove’s arrest the third in the investigation; multiple outlets noted she was taken into custody on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Dove’s specific charges are listed by authorities as “three counts of felony identity theft and one count of felony conspiracy.” Court filings, arraignment dates and prosecutorial filings have not been released in the WCSO materials provided.

Public reaction surfaced on ABC11’s Facebook post about the arrests, which showed 37 reactions, 51 comments and 7 shares. One commenter asked, “how did 3 people opening several accounts under names of living and dead Duke customers cost Duke half a million dollars?” Another commenter, Lane Cassie, wrote, “Free them #Duke is the real scammer,” a post that drew 52 likes in the excerpted thread.

WCSO and Duke Energy have not provided a public breakdown showing how the $495,904.62 loss was calculated or the precise alleged role each defendant played in opening accounts versus benefiting from them. The sheriff’s office continues to investigate, and WCSO officials say there is no additional information available at this time.