By-Line: Joseph Bober, FCSO
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies made 15 arrests this past weekend between 6 p.m. on Friday, December 13, 2024, and 6 a.m. on Monday, December 16, 2024. Deputies handled 550 calls for service and made 146 traffic stops.
Fugitive from Justice Arrested after Traffic Stop
On Sunday, December 15, Deputy Cameron Punsky conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that had an expired registration. After the driver provided his information and was positively identified as Samuel Chappell, 42, it was discovered that he was a fugitive from justice with multiple active arrest warrants out of Duval County, Florida, and Pueblo County, Colorado for failure to register as a sexual offender.
Once the warrants were confirmed, Chappell was arrested on his active warrants. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he was held without bond.
“If you are a fugitive from justice, you better not come through Flagler County, because we will find you every time,” said Sheriff Rick Staly.
Early-morning Traffic Stop Leads to Arrests for Narcotics, Stolen IDs, and More
During the early hours of Monday, December 16, Deputy Ardit Coma was on routine patrol in Bunnell when he conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling over the speed limit. As Deputy Coma approached the vehicle and called for backup, he observed the vehicle visibly shaking due to movement inside. He observed a male in the right rear passenger seat bent over, appearing as if he were shoving items under the seat. Additionally, Deputy Coma noticed a strong odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle.
Three occupants were inside the vehicle, but none were in the driver’s seat. Deputy Coma asked the occupants of the vehicle who had been driving, and the male in the rear seat stated that a female who was in the rear left seat had been the driver. When questioned why she had climbed into the backseat, the female, who was visibly upset, stated that she had a suspended license out of Georgia and was scared.
Deputies conducted a probable-cause search of the vehicle and located a black duffle bag in the back seat where the male had been seated. Inside the bag, deputies found approximately 10 grams of cocaine, oxycodone pills, bags with cannabis residue, and various prescription medications. Deputies also found two firearms in the vehicle, one of which was later confirmed to be stolen.
When deputies interviewed the subjects, the male stated he did not have his license on him but provided deputies with a name and date of birth. When deputies searched the information, they discovered that the name and age did not appear to match what the male stated. The male was eventually positively identified through investigative means as Jerry Price III, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, a convicted felon who had multiple non-extraditable arrest warrants out of Georgia. He later admitted that he gave a fake name because he was scared.
While searching for his driver’s license, deputies located eight ID cards containing names other than prices, including two social security cards, two Georgia driver’s licenses, two debit cards, a wholesale club card, and a Utah driver’s license, which was noticeably counterfeit.
Price was arrested for Providing a False Name to Law Enforcement, Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information of Another, Possession of a Forged or Counterfeit Driver License, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and two counts of Possession of Harmful New Legend Drug without Prescription. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he was held without bond.
While in jail, the extradition for one of Price’s warrants was modified. He is being held for extradition by the Atlanta Police Department.
The driver of the vehicle, Nikia Rogers, 23, of Hampton, Georgia, was also arrested after she admitted to having operated the vehicle with a suspended license. Upon searching her purse, deputies located a credit card that, through investigative means, they learned had been reported stolen. Rogers was arrested for Driving While License Suspended, Obstruction of Justice, and Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification Information of Another. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
Before being transported to the jail, Rogers stated that she did not have any narcotics on her person. When she arrived at the jail, it was discovered that she had marijuana. She was additionally arrested for Possession of Marijuana (20 Grams or Less) and Introduction of Contraband into a Correctional Facility. She is being held on a $4,000 bond.
“This traffic stop turned into a serious arrest that included narcotics, firearms, and stolen IDs. I commend our deputies for doing their due diligence and making sure they did not get away with anything,” said Sheriff Staly. “This case also involved a lot of lying to our deputies. You can see how that worked out, as lying can bring additional charges. My advice to criminals: Just tell the truth the first time, because our deputies will always get to the bottom of it anyway.”
