ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A joint investigation from Flagler and St. Johns county sheriff’s offices led to the arrest of a man police say stole dozens of appliances in both counties.

James Shepard, 50, was charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, petit theft, and grand theft and will later be transferred to Flagler County to face charges. The stolen items include refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, a washing machine, a dryer, paint, doorknobs, air filters and tile grout. 

Shepard primarily hit construction sites at the Trail Mark and Cordova Palms communities, investigators said. Shepard used different vehicles and was swapping license plates between burglaries at the sites, SJCSO said.

On Jan. 20, SJCSO detectives located a black Chevrolet Silverado matching the description of the vehicle of interest near Cordova Palms. Deputies said the license plate on the vehicle was stolen; Shepard was arrested on charges of driving with an expired license and attached tag not assigned after a traffic stop. There was a refrigerator in the truck bed, which deputies said was stolen.

On Jan. 21, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant on a storage unit belonging to Shepard in Palm Coast. They found 22 home appliances including refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, a washing machine, a dryer, paint, doorknobs, air filters and tile grout. 

Detectives said if you bought appliances from Shepard since Jan. 1, contact law enforcement as you may be a victim of a crime. Residents of St. Johns County are asked to call (904) 824-8304 or email sointelligence@sjso.org. Residents of Flagler County are asked to call (386) 313-4911 or email TIPS@flaglersheriff.com.