A Bunnell resident was arrested last week for allegedly creating fake deeds to sell vacant lots that didn’t belong to her and selling one for a profit. 41-year-old Melissa Jester was booked into the county jail on two felony charges on Friday.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Jester turned a profit of nearly $30,000 on one of the vacant lots she sold. The apparent real property owner reported what happened to law enforcement on August 27, about two months after the fraudulent sale is said to have occurred.
When the FCSO was initially contacted about the incident, they were told by the victim that they’ve owned the land in question for around two decades. She said three lots she owns in Palm Coast were transferred to a different owner without her providing authorization.
The transfer occurred on June 29, 2026 according to the results of an investigation by the FCSO General Assignment Unit. On that day, papers were submitted to the Flagler County Clerk of Courts transferring ownership of three lots from the victim to Florida Ohana Homes, LLC. Under state records, Florida Ohana Homes is registered under Jester’s name with a Bunnell address.
The funds which paid for filing fees reportedly came from a money order at Amscot in Palm Coast. This location doesn’t require ID verification, the FCSO says.
On September 10 one of the three lots was sold to a buyer who is said to have been unaware of the fraudulent nature of the transaction. $29,970 was sent to Florida Ohana Homes’ bank account. Jester was allegedly seen on camera at a UPS Store in Palm Coast signing the warranty deed and then having it notarized.
$8,000 of the money Jester made on the sale is said to have gone straight to Jester’s personal credit union account. She reportedly bought hotel stays among other things within Flagler County.
After their investigation led them to Jester, FCSO detectives seized over $14,000 from Florida Ohana Homes. Over $6,000 was recovered directly from Jester’s personal accounts. Not all of the money from the sale was taken by detectives, but the FCSO puts the figure at over $20,000.
Jester herself was finally nabbed on Friday by the FCSO Problem Area Crime Enforcement Unit. She was located while driving in Bunnell and arrested on a warrant for grand theft and obtaining property worth $20,000 to $50,000 by swindle. She was booked into jail on a $45,000 bond and as of Tuesday afternoon remains in custody. Jester has no prior bookings on record in Flagler County.
“Most of the deed fraud we see is run by scammers hiding in another state or another country. This one lived in Bunnell and signed the closing papers in front of a security camera in Palm Coast,” said Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly. “Our detectives followed the trail of forgeries and money and recovered most of it for the victim.”
