A Palm Coast Target shoplifting run turned into a much bigger bust this week after Flagler County deputies say two Jacksonville fugitives walked out with nearly $2,500 worth of stolen sports trading cards, a stash of drugs and a gun reported stolen out of Jacksonville. Andrew Simmons, 27, and Madeline Whaley, 35, were arrested at the store, and deputies say the pair had apparently run the same trick before.
According to WKMG, the case began when a loss prevention officer flagged a man known for shoplifting at other Target locations entering the Palm Coast store. Deputies say the suspect loaded multiple boxes of trading cards into a plastic storage container before slipping out through a side fire exit — a method the station reports the suspects had used before. A woman was reportedly waiting outside in a black sedan while the theft played out inside.
Deputies spotted Simmons carrying the container toward a black BMW sedan, and when he saw law enforcement, he dropped the container in the parking lot and ran toward the car, per the station's report. Inside the container were 98 packs of sports trading cards valued at more than $2,500, the outlet notes. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said deputies were waiting in the parking lot and arrested the suspects before they could load the cards into the vehicle.
Drugs and a Stolen Gun Turn Up in the Search
Interestingly, the case that started with Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies investigating a stolen bicycle at the same Target turned up far more once the vehicle was searched. Deputies reportedly found crumpled tinfoil with burnt residue near the vehicle's center console, along with methamphetamine, fentanyl and a glass pipe with drug residue, according to the same account. Whaley's backpack contained a handgun that was later confirmed stolen out of Jacksonville, the station reports.
Simmons was also carrying four outstanding arrest warrants at the time of his arrest, including Clay County warrants for grand theft and a St. Johns County warrant for failure to appear, the article states. Sheriff Staly said Simmons and Whaley had apparently tried the same scheme multiple times in other areas before deputies caught up with them in Palm Coast.
Charges and Bond for Both Suspects
Simmons was charged with grand theft, possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia, and he was held on a $100,509 bond, per the report. Whaley faces a heavier charge sheet: grand theft of a firearm, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, accessory after the fact, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl. She was held on a $25,000 bond, the outlet notes.
Both suspects have criminal histories predating this arrest. WKMG reports Simmons had prior arrests for grand theft, petit theft and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, while Whaley — described as a convicted felon — had prior arrests for possession of fentanyl, driving with a suspended license, trespassing and failure to appear.
What Florida Law Says About the Charges
Whaley's accessory-after-the-fact charge falls under a specific section of state law. Under the 2026 Florida Statutes, an accessory after the fact is someone who knowingly aids a person who committed a felony with the intent of helping that person avoid detection, arrest, trial or punishment; the statute classifies accessory after the fact to a second-degree felony, or to certain third-degree felonies, as a third-degree felony itself.
Separately, Florida Statute 775.087 allows a felony to be reclassified one degree higher when a defendant carries, displays, uses, threatens to use or attempts to use a weapon or firearm during the offense, according to the 2026 Florida Statutes. That same statute provides a three-year minimum prison sentence for a convicted felon found to have possessed a firearm during the commission of an offense, which could factor into Whaley's case given her status as a convicted felon charged with possessing a weapon and using a firearm during a felony.
