Suspect is the estranged wife of a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy
A Palm Coast woman has been arrested on felony retail theft charges after a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigation found she stole approximately $5,000 worth of merchandise from Target stores over several months and resold the items online.
General Assignment Unit detectives began investigating the case on December 22. Their investigation identified 37-year-old Jessica Finn of Palm Coast as the suspect. According to detectives, Finn shoplifted from Target locations in Palm Coast, Port Orange, and Daytona Beach using various methods to avoid detection.
Investigators determined Finn would swap price tags with less expensive items and frequently used store changing rooms to remove anti-shoplifting devices. She would then hide the merchandise in her clothing before leaving without paying. The stolen items included clothing, cosmetics, and baby monitoring devices, among other products. Finn later sold the stolen goods through Facebook Marketplace.
The total value of stolen merchandise was approximately $1,300 from the Palm Coast store and roughly $3,700 from the Port Orange and Daytona Beach locations.
After identifying Finn and finding many of the stolen items listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace, detectives set up an undercover operation. They arranged to meet Finn on December 23 at a public location to purchase the stolen merchandise. When detectives confirmed she had the listed items in her possession, they arrested her without incident.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Finn is the estranged wife of an FCSO deputy. Finn told investigators that Deputy R. Finn did not know about her illegal activity. In a follow-up interview, Deputy R. Finn denied any knowledge of or involvement in the thefts and expressed shock over his estranged wife’s actions.
“Thanks to the thorough work and quick, decisive actions of our detectives, we were able to quickly make an arrest and stop her one-person theft ring,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “This suspect foolishly thought she wouldn’t get caught because she thought she knew how to skirt around store security, but she was wrong. I hope she enjoys an early Christmas present with a complimentary stay at the Green Roof Inn.”
Finn was charged with felony retail theft and transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she is being held on $2,500 bond.
