Repeat Fraud Suspect Rearrested After New Allegations Surface

JOHNSTON COUNTY – A man accused of repeatedly conning residents across Johnston County is back in jail, this time facing six additional felony charges after new victims stepped forward with allegations of fraud.

Cameron Elijah Hairston, 26, of Benson—who has also lived in Angier and Clayton—was rearrested on October 11 by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say the new charges stem from two separate cases in which Hairston allegedly posed as a legitimate service provider and swindled victims out of thousands of dollars.

In one case, a Clayton woman reported that Hairston claimed he could help secure her friend’s release from jail. She told investigators she initially paid him $500, but he continued to ask for more, eventually collecting $6,350 under false pretenses. Deputies say Hairston never contacted a bondsman and made no effort to post the bond as promised.

In another incident, a small business owner in the Cleveland community said Hairston agreed to move a freezer from Wilmington to his store for a fee of $450. The business owner paid upfront, but Hairston allegedly disappeared without doing the work.

These new charges add to a growing list of previous accusations against Hairston, who is already facing multiple counts of fraud-related offenses.

Earlier this year, Hairston was charged with impersonating a licensed land surveyor, allegedly convincing a 78-year-old woman to pay $625 for a surveying job he was not licensed—or qualified—to perform.

He also faces charges of theft and deception after reportedly posing as an appliance repairman on the Nextdoor app. In that case, he allegedly entered a Cleveland-area home under the guise of making repairs and stole jewelry from the residence.

In yet another incident, Hairston reportedly claimed to be a plumber and scammed a Cleveland resident out of $802 for parts and labor on work that was never completed.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are urging anyone who had contact with Hairston under similar circumstances to come forward.

Following his latest arrest, Hairston was booked into the Johnston County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.