Florida ‘Love And Fried Chicken’ Scheme Shattered; Second Popeyes Employee Arrested
The gravy train has officially ended for a second employee accused of orchestrating a scheme to defraud customers at a local Popeyes drive-thru. After a seven-month investigation, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) has arrested the alleged “mastermind” behind the operation, which reportedly involved charging customer credit cards to fund an inmate boyfriend’s commissary account.
On October 15, Shaunta Johnson, 42, of Palm Coast, was taken into custody on multiple felony charges, including organized scheme to defraud and three counts each of fraudulent use of a credit card and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. Johnson is being held without bond at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.
Detectives determined that Johnson and her coworker, Chaniqua Richberg, 49, allegedly carried out fraudulent charges while working the drive-thru. According to the FCSO, Johnson orchestrated the scheme specifically to make commissary payments to her boyfriend, an inmate at Apalachee Correctional Institution.
Richberg, who was arrested in April on related fraud charges and is currently out on bond, previously was convicted of fraud in an unrelated Pennsylvania case. Johnson has a lengthy criminal record, including arrests for fraud, cocaine sales, and operating a childcare facility without a license.
Sheriff Rick Staly praised the department’s thorough investigation.
“Thanks to the cooperation of the new owners of Popeyes, we were able to put the missing pieces together, arrest the mastermind, and hold both her and her associate accountable for their crimes,” Sheriff Staly said. “While they won’t be joining friends who are already behind bars, they are on a fast track to a prison cell.”
The investigation, led by the FCSO General Assignment Unit, concludes with both suspects facing charges for turning the popular fast-food drive-thru into a scene of criminal activity.
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