By-Line: Joseph Bober, FCSO
Traffic Stop Leads to Narcotics Arrest, Two Arrested for Shoplifting from Walmart
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies made 10 arrests this past weekend between 6 p.m. on Friday, February 7, 2025, and 6 a.m. on Monday, February 10, 2025. Deputies handled 649 calls for service and made 145 traffic stops.
Poison Peddler Arrested Following Traffic Stop
On Friday evening, Problem Area Crime Enforcement Unit detectives conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that had been observed running multiple stop signs. Detectives made contact with the driver, Thomas Leto, 52, of Flagler Beach, who appeared nervous and instructed him to exit the vehicle.
Leto did not immediately comply, and when detectives noticed that he began to drop his arm and reach underneath him, they pulled him from the vehicle.
Where Leto had been reaching, detectives found a large clear baggie and a gray pouch. The baggie was found to contain 29 grams of cannabis. Inside the pouch, detectives found several narcotics, including a trafficking amount of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamines, and various pills that were determined to be controlled substances.
Leto was arrested for Trafficking in Fentanyl; Possession of Cocaine; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Sell, Manufacture, or Distribute; Possession of Suboxone; Possession of Marijuana (More than 20 Grams); and Obstruction without Violence. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held without bond.
Thomas Leto (Flagler County Jail Mugshot)
“Our PACE Unit detectives are very perceptive, and because of that, this turned into something a lot more than a traffic stop,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “I commend our deputies for getting this poison peddler off the street and into the Green Roof Inn.”
Couple Arrested After Shoplifting, Lying to Deputies
On Sunday morning, deputies responded to Walmart in Palm Coast about a shoplifting in progress. The store’s loss prevention team reported that a black male wearing a blue shirt had attempted to steal a shopping cart full of items and fled when confronted.
Deputy Patrick Holtzclaw, who was already in the Walmart parking lot, was first to respond and made contact with the store’s loss prevention team. He was informed that the male had just been seen entering a vehicle. Deputy Holtzclaw located the vehicle attempting to turn onto Palm Coast Parkway and conducted a traffic stop.
A male matching the suspect’s description was sitting in the front passenger seat and was identified as Louis Watson, 40, of Daytona Beach, Florida. When questioned by deputies, Watson changed his story multiple times and could not provide a valid reason for bypassing all points of sale.
Deputies located a female in the back seat of the vehicle with multiple Walmart bags and items, but no receipts. The female initially provided a false name to deputies before eventually being identified as Maggie Bennett, 52, of Bunnell. Watson and Bennett initially denied that they knew each other before admitting that they had gone to Walmart together.
In addition to shoplifting, both were determined to be fugitives. Watson was wanted in Volusia County, Florida, for failure to pay child support while Bennett was wanted in Putnam County, Florida for a violation of probation.
Watson was arrested for Shoplifting – Petit Theft and his active warrant. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held on a $970 bond.
Bennett was arrested for Shoplifting – Petit Theft, Providing a False Name to Law Enforcement, and her active warrant. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she is being held without bond.
Louis Watson and Maggie Bennett (Flagler County Jail Mugshots)
“This couple learned that hard way that you can’t steal from a store in Flagler County and expect to get away with it. We don’t put up with that here,” said Sheriff Staly. “They also couldn’t get away with trying to lie to our deputies, who are well-trained to get to the bottom of this case and put these thieves in the Green Roof Inn.”
