A Florida woman is facing multiple felony charges after she reportedly identified herself to Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) detectives as the individual shown in a social media post seeking to identify a credit card theft suspect.
Brynn Gifford, 19, of Palm Coast, was arrested after detectives concluded she had stolen a victim’s credit card from a local nail salon and used it to make over $500 in fraudulent purchases.
The investigation began on August 9, when a victim reported that they had accidentally left their credit card at Palm Nails in Palm Coast three days earlier. Upon checking their account, the victim noticed 10 fraudulent charges made between August 6 and August 9 at various stores and restaurants.
FCSO detectives in the General Assignment Unit gathered surveillance footage from the locations where the card was used. The suspect was identified as a white female with long dark hair wearing a white camouflage jacket.
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Suspect Self-Identifies
On September 23, the FCSO Public Information Office posted an attempt-to-identify request on the agency’s social media pages, asking the public for help.
Later that same day, detectives were notified that a woman had called the Flagler County Emergency Communications Center and claimed to be the person in the photo, asking to speak with the detectives on the case.
The woman, identified as Gifford, met with detectives at the District 2 Office. Gifford initially denied any wrongdoing but later acknowledged that she was the individual in the surveillance photos, one of which showed her purchasing items including notebooks and pens at a Walmart. During the interview, Gifford’s backpack contents were noted to contain notebooks and pens matching the description of those purchased with the stolen card.
Detectives also determined that Gifford was employed as a receptionist at Palm Nails when the card was stolen.
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Charges Filed
Based on the evidence, an arrest warrant was obtained for Gifford on October 15 for fraudulent use of personal identification information of a person 60 years of age or older, fraudulent use of a credit card more than two times in six months, and petit theft.
The FCSO Fugitive Unit assisted in locating Gifford, and she was arrested the following day in Daytona Beach by the Daytona Beach Police Department. She was transported to the Volusia County Correctional Facility and was later released on a $4,000 bond.
“This case is a great example of the power of social media and how it can help law enforcement,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Less than a day after we posted the suspect’s photo looking for more information, she came forward to speak to our detectives. Of course, her bad decision landed her in jail on multiple felony charges, but at least she ultimately did the right thing, because our detectives would’ve caught her sooner or later.”
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