Florida Man and Woman Tried To Steal $2,500 in Trading Cards From Target, but Deputies Were Waiting

A Florida man and woman are facing multiple felony charges after deputies caught them trying to steal thousands of dollars’ worth of trading cards from a Target, where a deputy was already investigating another theft.

Andrew Simmons, 27, and Madeline Whaley, 35, were both arrested on Sept. 21 after deputies said that Simmons walked out of a Target in Palm Coast carrying a container filled with stolen trading cards.

There was a major problem for Simmons: a deputy was already at the Target investigating another bicycle theft. The Target’s store loss prevention officer alerted the deputy that a known shoplifter had entered the store.

According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Simmons grabbed a shopping cart and a plastic storage container from the store and began filling it with trading cards before walking toward a side exit. Simmons walked toward a black BMW sedan with Whaley behind the wheel.

Deputies Approached

Deputies spotted Simmons outside and started to approach him. While they moved in, Simmons dropped the container and ran toward the black BMW.

Deputies then made what they described as a “high-risk takedown” and arrested both Simmons and Whaley before they could get away.

How Much?

Inside the container, deputies found 98 packs of sports trading cards worth more than $2,500.

The incident took another turn when deputies noticed crumpled tinfoil with burnt residue near the center console while they removed Whaley from the vehicle. A search of the BMW turned up methamphetamine, fentanyl, and a glass pipe with narcotics residue.

A handgun was also found by deputies inside a backpack that belonged to Whaley. The firearm had been reported stolen in Jacksonville, according to the sheriff’s office.

The Charges

Simmons also had four outstanding warrants, including a St. Johns County failure-to-appear warrant and three grand theft warrants from Clay County.

Simmons was then arrested on charges including grand theft, possession of methamphetamine, possession of fentanyl, and possession of drug paraphernalia, along with the warrants. He is currently being held without bond, according to the sheriff’s office.

Whaley was also arrested and faces charges including accessory after the fact, possession of methamphetamine, possession of fentanyl, possession of drug paraphernalia, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, grand theft of a firearm, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Her bond was set at $25,000, according to the sheriff’s office.

Both were booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility.

Sheriff Rick Staly said they had used the same scheme in other areas, but their timing couldn’t have been worse in Flagler County.

“They picked the wrong store in the wrong county at the wrong time,” Staly said.

Both suspects have criminal histories, the sheriff’s office said.

Both suspects are innocent unless proven guilty in court.