FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office believes an apartment maintenance worker who was arrested for stealing jewelry from a Palm Coast resident and sold it to pawn shops may have other victims.
According to a news release, the victim contacted the sheriff’s office on Dec. 22 to report a delayed burglary involving numerous pieces of jewelry. The victim noted that there was no sign of forced entry to the apartment, and the only individual with access during the time of the burglary was the apartment complex’s maintenance worker.
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The following day, the victim contacted deputies again to report that she had discovered some of the stolen jewelry at a pawn shop in Bunnell. Deputies went to the location, where the jewelry was positively identified as the victim’s, according to deputies.
A transaction receipt from the pawn shop revealed that Joshua Powell, 44, of Satsuma, Florida, had sold the jewelry on Dec. 13. At the time, Powell was employed as the maintenance worker for the apartment complex, deputies say.
Through an investigation, deputies discovered that Powell had been to 10 different pawn shops throughout Flagler and Volusia counties and sold a total of 33 items, mostly women’s jewelry, since Nov. 4.
On Jan. 13, Joshua Powell was arrested on charges of burglary, four counts of false verification of ownership, four counts of dealing in stolen property, and criminal mischief. He was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. Powell was later released after posting a $17,000 bond.
Due to Powell having had access to multiple apartments during his time of employment and the significant number of times he pawned and sold jewelry, detectives are searching for additional victims.
“This man was trusted to access people’s apartments and betrayed that trust and stole from them,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a release. “Detectives are hard at work seeking additional victims to make sure this dirtbag is held accountable for all his crimes. I encourage all Tuscan Reserve Apartments residents to double check and make sure that nothing is missing and if it is try to recover your property.”
Residents at Tuscan Reserve Apartments in Palm Coast are encouraged to contact the FCSO non-emergency line at 386-313-4911 (reference FCSO case no. 2025-109737) if they believe items have been stolen.
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