PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL–
A former Burger King manager and his pregnant girlfriend have been arrested after they used a customer’s debit card to make several fraudulent purchases.
42-year-old Jamie Damont Jacobs and 33-year-old Zykiria Brown were taken into custody on September 20 for the incident that occurred on June 29th.
Officials say the victim had a meal at the Burger King on Southern Boulevard in Royal Palm Beach but accidentally left his Welsfargo card on a table.
The victim noticed his card was missing and transactions of more than $764 from his checking account the following day.
He then contacted the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Department and the Burger King District manager.
While investigating the incident, police found surveillance video showing the victim leaving the card at the restaurant.
A customer initially picked up the card but then put it back on the table.
A Burger King employee then noticed the card and gave it to Jacobs who was the on-duty night shift manager at the time.
Jacobs took the card into a back room where he put it in a safe but returned eight minutes later and put the card in his pocket.
Authorities say Jacobs was seen on camera making a phone call around 7:41 p.m.
Around 20 minutes later, Brown showed up at the restaurant with her three children, and Jacobs went outside to give her the debit card.
Brown went on to make purchases using the card at the Publix on Village Boulevard, the Wawa in Riviera Beach, and the Walmart on 45th Street in Riviera Beach.
Authorities say Brown also tried to make a purchase at an unknown Tacobell but the transaction was declined.
Brown told investigators that Jacobs gave her the card and she went shopping to get things for her daughter’s birthday party.
She also reported that the card was declined at Walmart and she walked out of the store empty-handed.
When authorities questioned Jacobs about the incident, he admitted to picking up the card at Burger King but denied giving the card to anyone.
He also denied knowing Brown when authorities showed him a photo of her using the card at Publix.
Jacobs was eventually confronted by a store manager regarding the incident and reportedly confessed to keeping the card. The manager then fired Jacobs who responded by thanking the store manager for not telling the police what he did.
Jacobs and Brown now face charges of trafficking in stolen property, fraud impersonation, possession of stolen credit cards, and illegal use of stolen credit cards.