A 41-year-old Bunnell woman has been arrested after investigators accused her of using forged deeds to transfer three vacant Palm Coast lots into a company she controlled. Authorities say she later sold one lot for $29,970 and used some of the proceeds for personal expenses. More than $20,000 has been recovered as the case proceeds.
Key takeaways
The allegations involve three properties owned by one victim, a sale to an unsuspecting buyer, and financial transactions investigators say linked the proceeds to Melissa Jester.
- The victim reported the unauthorized transfers on Aug. 27, after owning the lots for about 20 years.
- Investigators say the deeds transferred the properties to Florida Ohana Homes LLC, which Jester owned.
- One lot was sold for $29,970, and authorities recovered more than $20,000.
- Jester was arrested Nov. 6 on charges that include grand theft and obtaining property by swindle.
How investigators say the transfers happened
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, paperwork to transfer the three Palm Coast lots was mailed to the Flagler County Clerk of Courts on June 29. Investigators allege the property owner’s signature on the deeds was forged. The paperwork named Florida Ohana Homes LLC as the new owner.
Authorities say a money order bought on June 18 at an Amscot location paid the filing fees. Investigators allege it was purchased under a different name; the transaction did not require identification.
One lot sold for nearly $30,000
On Sept. 10, Jester allegedly sold one of the lots while acting as the company’s managing member. The sheriff’s office said surveillance footage from a UPS Store showed her signing the warranty deed and having it notarized. The $29,970 sale proceeds were wired to the company’s Bank of America account.
Investigators say Jester then moved $8,000 from the company account to her personal VyStar Credit Union account and spent it on hotel stays and other purchases in Flagler County.
Arrest and recovery of funds
Detectives seized more than $14,000 from the company’s bank account and over $6,000 from Jester’s personal account, recovering more than $20,000 in all. Sheriff Rick Staly said investigators followed a trail of documents and financial activity to recover much of the money for the victim.
Deputies arrested Jester in Bunnell on Nov. 6. She faces charges of grand theft and obtaining property valued between $20,000 and $50,000 by swindle. Realtor.com reported that she was being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on $45,000 bond. The allegations have not been proven in court.