BUNNELL, Fla. – A Palm Coast man is facing charges after he was accused of stealing over 20 new appliances from construction sites across Flagler and St. Johns counties, according to a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
James Shepard, 50, was found driving a truck on Jan. 20 with a stolen license plate and a refrigerator in his truck bed when deputies conducted a traffic stop, according to the St. Johns Sheriff’s Office.
Recommended Videos
The joint investigation with the Flagler County and St. Johns sheriff’s offices began when multiple appliance burglaries occurred at home construction sites between late November 2024 and early January 2025.
Investigators found a suspect vehicle, a black Chevrolet Silverado, with a stolen license plate. The vehicle would go from Flagler County to St. Johns County with an empty truck bed, then return with multiple kitchen appliances, detectives said.
Further investigation revealed the vehicle would go to a self-storage facility in Palm Coast and leave with an empty truck bed, deputies said.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said Shepard had rented a unit at the storage facility.
They obtained a search warrant for Shepard’s unit, where they found 22 home appliances including refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, a washing machine and a dryer. Detectives also found smaller items at the storage unit found at construction sites like doorknobs, air filters and paint, a news release stated.
Shepard was arrested during the traffic stop for driving without a license and unlawfully attaching a license plate not assigned to the vehicle, St. Johns deputies said.
Deputies in Flagler County later obtained two warrants for Shepard: grand theft and burglary of an unoccupied dwelling.
“This was great teamwork between our Real Time Crime Centers and detectives, and I commend their efforts,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “This should be a warning to criminals that our teams work together without boundaries to solve crimes and put your ass in jail if you prey on our counties.”
Shepard will be transferred to Flagler County jail after his case is resolved in St. Johns County, deputies said.
Detectives are seeking victims who may have purchased appliances from Shepard since Jan. 1 without realizing they were stolen.
If you may be a victim, contact the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911 or the St. Johns Sheriff’s Office at 904-824-8304, depending on where you live.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: