Flagler County Sheriff’s Office

🏃‍♂️ Wanted in Volusia County… 🏃‍♂️ Wanted in Levy County… 🏃‍♂️ Wanted in Okeechobee County … 🚨 CAPTURED in Flagler County! The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit tracked down and apprehended John Abrigo, 45, of Immokalee, who had active arrest warrants in three Florida Counties and was hiding out in Flagler Beach. “This guy was running out of counties to hide in, but he made the mistake of coming to Flagler County,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Now he’s in the Green Roof Inn, and we’ll make sure to get him back to those counties where he needs to face justice.” Abrigo was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held without bond.

Taking off into 2️⃣! 🚀 Happy second birthday to K-9 Titan, who went after his birthday treats with as much enthusiasm as when he goes after criminals! 🥳

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit re-arrested Joseph Nichols, 40, of Bunnell, after a forensic examination of his cell phone revealed images depicting bestiality and child sexual exploitation. Nichols was originally arrested during Operation: Offenders Endgame on Aug. 27, 2026, by Sheriff Rick Staly. At the time of his arrest for sex offender registration violations, Nichols was observed searching videos relating to child and parent sexual contact on his phone, and his phone was seized. After a search warrant was obtained for Nichols’ phone, investigators performed a forensic examination of the device. Detectives have so-far located over 100 images depicting animal sexual abuse, as well as other images depicting child sexual abuse. The forensic examination of his electronic devices is ongoing. On Tuesday, FCSO Fugitive Unit deputies arrested Nichols on 11 counts of possession of images of animal sexual activity and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. “Operation Offenders Endgame was a success but there were spinoff investigations that are continuing today as this arrest as shown,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “I expect that we will have several more arrests of abhorrent perverts like Nichols stemming from devices seized during Operation Offenders Endgame. My mother, who was a mental health supervisor once told me that sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated and they should be locked-up and throw the key away. My advice to perverts: get fixed or get the hell out of Flagler County.” Deputies transported Nichols to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility where he is being held on $32,500 bond. Residents can access Florida’s Sex Offender Registry online at offender.fdle.state.fl.us or through the FCSO and FDLE mobile apps.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly is proud to announce that Master Deputy Laura Jenkins is the recipient of the 2026 International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Looking Beyond the License Plate Award, presented on Tuesday, Oct. 27, during the IACP awards banquet at the close of the 2026 IACP Annual Conference and Exposition in Orlando. READ: bit.ly/4Bv35OB

United by a common mission to help our communities, first responders put the safety of others above their own each and every day. To our fellow first responders, especially those at our partner agencies in Flagler County, we say thank you! 🚓🚒🚑 #FirstRespondersDay

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Court and Detention Services Chief Dan Engert was elected chair of the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission during the commission’s Oct. 21 meeting. He will serve a two-year term. Read: bit.ly/4yGxsij

An American Airlines flight attendant who used her travel benefits to fly to a 75-year-old Palm Coast woman’s home as part of a sweepstakes scam is in custody after a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigation led to her arrest in Miami. Late Friday evening, U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested Destiny Blake, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, on a Flagler County warrant as she arrived at Miami International Airport on an international flight. The scam started in November 2025 with a phone call. The caller, who claimed to be with Publishers Clearing House, told the victim she had won. To collect her “winnings,” the victim was instructed to mail a $500 gift card to “Destiny Blake” at a Brooklyn address, which she did. During this time, the victim was also locked out of her own email account. The password had been changed and the account switched to look-a-like address she never created. Between Nov. 15 and Nov. 19, 2025, the victim withdrew more than $14,000 from her bank. Blake received $14,220 in cash and Zelle payments. On Nov. 18, Blake flew from New York to Daytona Beach as a standby passenger using her flight attendant benefits and then took an Uber to a hotel on State Road 100 in Palm Coast. The next morning, an Uber dropped Blake off at the victim’s home just before 11 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, another Uber picked her up and took her back to the Daytona Beach airport. Before she flew home, purchases were made on the victim’s credit card at the Daytona Beach and Charlotte airports. Detectives determined Blake had been issued her own Apple Card as an authorized user on the victim’s account. A family member later found a note in the victim’s home with instructions to call the card company and tell them Blake was her granddaughter and was authorized to use the card. Between Nov. 16 and Dec. 11, 2025, 88 charges totaling $10,590.30 were charged to the victim’s credit cards. They included a $1,740.91 eBay order shipped to Blake’s Brooklyn address, $1,523.16 spent on Apple products and more than $1,300 spent at T-Mobile, Ugg, a Brooklyn hair salon, and dozens of Uber rides and Uber Eats orders. One Uber ride was paid in Jamaican dollars in Kingston, two days after Blake flew there while working for American Airlines. The online orders were done using Blake’s own name, email address and phone number. Detectives obtained surveillance video of Blake using the victim’s card at a Queens supermarket. Detectives also determined that Blake’s phone was in the area of the stores on the dates of the transactions. In total, the victim lost approximately $25,310. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Blake on Oct. 13, 2026 for the thefts and fraudulent charges. “Most flight attendants use their benefits to see the world. Blake used her’s to further a scam against a senior resident, live a lavish lifestyle using stolen bank cards and thinking she could get away with it,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Her wings were clipped by our detectives and with the help of CPB she was arrested. Her next trip? Flagler County to be held accountable for her crimes.” U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested Blake for organized scheme to defraud over $20,000 from a victim 65 or older, fraudulent use of personal identification information of a person 60 or older, and grand theft over $20,000. She was transported to the Miami-Dade County jail, where she was later released on a $30,000 bond. Families caring for an older adult can shut off many of the ways scammers reach them and take over their accounts. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has posted step-by-step instructions to safeguard your loved one’s phones, email, computers and bank accounts at flaglersheriff.com/senior-sa…. Suspected financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult can also be reported to the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873), 24 hours a day, or to the U.S. Department of Justice National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). Anyone who believes they were targeted in a similar scam or had financial contact with Blake is encouraged to contact the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911.

Over the weekend, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office made eight arrests. Among those were a fugitive arrested for a cocaine trafficking warrant and a career criminal arrested after he was found with a stolen vehicle. READ: bit.ly/48l2Jwo

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man for felony child abuse following an investigation into an incident with a special needs student that occurred while he was employed as a teacher at Wadsworth Elementary School. READ: bit.ly/4BsTmIE

Wanna get away? Well, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office won’t let you! Ashley Beams, 38, was wanted since October 2025 with two arrest warrants for violating her probation after previous arrests for burglary, grand theft, and possession of methamphetamine. While searching for her, detectives learned she fled to Hawaii, got married, and changed her last name. Fleeing to an island paradise and changing your name to avoid capture might be the oldest trick in the book. She probably thought we had stopped looking or couldn’t find her. However, if she believed her escape plan was enough so she could live out her life sipping Mai Tais in the Aloha State and never have to worry about spending time behind bars, she was wrong. After a year on the run, her past (and FCSO) finally caught up to her! After learning this fugitive from justice was in Hawaii, the FCSO Fugitive Apprehension Unit and Special Investigations Unit coordinated with local law enforcement to apprehend her. On Oct. 20, the @Hawaii_Police and @USMarshalsHQ arrested Beams (now going by Ashley Thomas). “The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t give up, and the long arm of the law is truly limitless, extending even to the islands of Hawaii,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “You can run, you can change your name, and you can try all kinds of other tricks, but fugitives from justice should learn that you can never stop looking over your shoulder. FCSO will find you and fly you back to Florida to face justice.” She is being held at the East Hawaii Detention Facility awaiting extradition back to Flagler County.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has made three arrests, including two fugitives from justice, after a trespassing call led to deputies locating the fugitives at the same property. READ: bit.ly/3WkmtO3

This afternoon @AshleyMoodyFL visited the Flagler County Sheriff's Office to thank the men and women in law enforcement who serve this county. Afterward Sheriff Rick Staly gave her a tour of the FCSO Operations Center and Real Time Crime Center.

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies made 14 arrests during Biketoberfest between 6 a.m. on Thursday, October 15, 2026, and 6 a.m. on Monday, October 19, 2026. Deputies handled 830 calls for service and made 196 traffic stops. PALM COAST WOMAN STRIKES A NURSE AND A DEPUTY AT THE HOSPITAL AFTER DUI CRASH On Friday evening, deputies arrested a Palm Coast woman for DUI after a crash on Palm Coast Parkway NE, then added battery charges after she struck a nurse and a deputy at the hospital. At approximately 5:19 p.m., deputies responded to a reported hit-and-run crash on Palm Coast Parkway NE. The driver, later identified as Melissa Delaney, 32, of Palm Coast, told deputies an unknown SUV had struck her while she was driving. Deputies determined she had actually run into a street sign. Once the crash investigation was complete, a deputy started a DUI investigation. Delaney said she was coming from European Village and heading home and told the deputy she had not been drinking, but the deputy smelled alcohol on her breath. Her eyes were watery and glassy, her speech was slurred, and she could not stand in one spot without swaying back and forth. She agreed to field sobriety exercises but as the deputy began them, she became agitated and shoved another deputy. Deputies handcuffed her and took her to the hospital to be medically cleared before being taken to jail. At the hospital, she asked to be treated for the crash, then became aggressive with the medical staff. She then struck a nurse in the chest with both fists. When the deputy restrained her, she tried to bite him, hit him in the chest, and kicked him several times while he held her arms to the bed. A blood draw at the hospital showed a blood alcohol content of .192, more than twice the legal limit. Later that night, she provided two breath samples of .086 and .084. “Our nurses and deputies are there to save lives, not to take punches, and anyone who puts their hands on them will answer for it with a felony charge,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Alcohol ruins lives every day, and it doesn’t wait for a crash to do it. This time it was a street sign. Next time it could be a family on their way home. If you drink, don’t drive. If you are impaired and drive, we will show you some new bars at the Green Roof Inn.” Deputies arrested Delaney for DUI with property damage, battery on a law enforcement officer, and battery on an emergency medical care provider. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she was later released on a $12,500 bond. Video of Delaney’s arrest UNLICENSED MOTORCYCLIST TOSSES THC VAPE ON HIS RIDING PARTNER’S FENDER DURING TRAFFIC STOP On Sunday morning, deputies arrested a Pennsylvania man for tampering with evidence and possession of fentanyl after he tried to ditch a THC vape on another motorcycle during a traffic stop on U.S. 1. At approximately 11:17 a.m., an FCSO sergeant saw an orange and black Yamaha motorcycle traveling north on U.S. 1 near Cemetery Road in Bunnell without its headlight on and pulled it over. The rider, Cody Varga, 38, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, had no registration and handed the sergeant a Pennsylvania ID card instead of a driver’s license. He said the motorcycle wasn’t registered and the tag came with it when he bought it. The New York tag expired in April 2021 and belongs to a Suzuki motorcycle. Varga then told the sergeant he could have the motorcycle because he wasn’t going to ride it anymore. Varga appeared nervous and kept trying to put distance between himself and the sergeant. He walked to the front of another motorcycle that had been riding with him and dropped something on its front fender. The sergeant walked over and found a THC vape. Varga’s Pennsylvania driver’s license is suspended for DUI, and his New York license is suspended as well. He does not have a Florida driver’s license or a motorcycle endorsement. Having multiple driver's licenses in different states is also illegal. A second deputy arrived and they checked the sling bag on his chest for weapons. Inside was another vape, which Varga called a “weed vape,” adding that he didn’t have a medical marijuana card. The liquid inside tested positive for THC hashish oil. In Varga’s right front pocket, the deputy found a small plastic container with a white powder residue that Varga called “dabs." Which tested positive for fentanyl. Deputies also found a grinder containing cannabis. “He told our sergeant he could keep the motorcycle because he wasn’t going to ride it anymore. That may be the most honest thing he said all morning as the motorcycle was impounded,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Dropping a THC vape on your buddy’s fender right in front of a sergeant doesn’t make it disappear, and neither did the fentanyl in his pocket. Biketoberfest ended for him at the Green Roof Inn.” Deputies arrested Varga for tampering with evidence, possession of fentanyl without a prescription, possession of hashish, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license suspended with knowledge, attaching a tag not assigned, and operating a motorcycle without a motorcycle endorsement. He was also cited for riding without a headlight and for having an expired registration for more than six months. Varga was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held on an $8,450 bond.

Do you have unused or expired prescription medication? As part of the 31st DEA #TakeBackDay, residents can discard unneeded medications safely and anonymously at numerous locations in Flagler County. Find out the location nearest you by visiting DEATakeBack.com

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Flagler Beach man for child abuse after an incident in which he kicked a special needs student while employed as a substitute teacher at Matanzas High School. READ: bit.ly/4i6G4IJ

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman for DUI after she was attempting to pick up a child from school while impaired. Deputies determined the woman had driven with a blood alcohol content over three times the legal limit. READ: bit.ly/4yrtlGP

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman employed as a City of Palm Coast animal control officer following an investigation into the fraudulent use of a city-issued credit card to pay for personal unauthorized veterinary expenses. READ: bit.ly/4yUtkfu

Well if this isn't the most doggone handsomest birthday boy you've ever seen... Happy third birthday to K-9 Guapo, who's enjoying a well-earned pup cup! 🥳