Bike stolen from Publix leads deputies to $70,000 in fraudulent checks, Florida cops say

A man accused of stealing a bike from Publix also was found carrying 51 fraudulent checks worth more than $70,000, Florida authorities said.

Samuel Muslaire, 23, is charged with organized scheme to defraud greater than $50,000, grand theft, two counts of unauthorized use/possession of a driver’s license, and possession of the ID of another without authorization, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

His attorney information wasn’t available in court records Sept. 25.

On Sept. 22, a man reported to deputies he left his bike unchained outside a Publix in Palm Coast while he went in the store, and when he returned, it was gone, deputies wrote in an arrest affidavit.

The Publix security team reviewed surveillance footage and saw a man take the bike, according to investigators. Deputies later found the man with the bike and identified him as Samuel Muslaire of Miami.

When confronted, the man said he would bring the bike back, but the owner wanted to press charges, and deputies arrested and searched Muslaire, according to the affidavit.

Body-worn camera footage shows a deputy reach into Muslaire’s jacket pocket and pull out a rubber-banded wad of checks.

Muslaire can be heard saying in the video that he found the checks on the floor.

Investigators said Muslaire had 51 forged checks on him belonging to four different victims. The “obviously fraudulent” checks all had the same date and routing and account numbers, deputies said.

Muslaire is also accused of possessing another man’s wallet reported stolen out of Orange County on Aug. 27.

He was booked in jail on the five counts.

Palm Coast is on Florida’s Atlantic coast, about a 30-mile drive north from Daytona Beach.

This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Bike stolen from Publix leads deputies to $70,000 in fraudulent checks, Florida cops say."