A career criminal from Flagler Beach is in the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility this morning on an $800,000 bond
after the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Tri-County Narcotics Task Force served an arrest warrant on charges in connection with drug trafficking and trying to bride an FCSO Deputy Sheriff.
Just four months removed from his latest stint in state prison, 34-year-old Sean Fitzpatrick may be headed back for a third time.
Fitzpatrick ran into his childhood friend, who is now a FCSO Deputy, after his most recent release from the Florida Department of Corrections. During the conversation, detectives say Fitzpatrick offered to take any illegal drugs the deputy may have access to, due to his position in law enforcement, and sell it for him. He suggested he and the deputy could then share the profit. The deputy immediately came forward and reported this information with detectives in the Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
SIU detectives then arranged controlled meetings between the deputy and Fitzpatrick. It was discussed during one meeting about the possibility of getting large amounts of narcotics, specifically using the term “kilo,” to sell on the street. That’s when detectives decided to set up a drug bust where a final meeting would take place with assistance from FDLE’s Tri-County Task Force, which FCSO is a member of.
Working in an undercover capacity, the deputy told Fitzpatrick that taking evidence, such as illegal drugs, to Jacksonville to be destroyed at an undisclosed facility is something that was among his duties from time to time. It was during the next meeting when Fitzpatrick took possession of a kilo of cocaine from the deputy.
Fitzpatrick is now being held on charges of Bribery of a Law Enforcement Officer and Trafficking Cocaine in excess of 400 grams. One kilogram of cocaine is worth more than $30,000 on the streets. That numbers goes up exponentially when the product is “cut” and sold in much smaller amounts to those buying drugs.
“Attempting to bribe one of my deputies to help poison our county makes you a first-class dirt bag who should never see the light of day again,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “He’s been in and out of the state prison system for everything from burglary to grand theft. This time, he tried to abuse an old relationship with a friend from his school days to launch a career peddling poison in Flagler County. Trying to bribe a Deputy Sheriff and damage the reputation of the Sheriff’s Office will get you in jail every time. I’m very proud of my deputy that he kept his oath strong even when tested by an old high school classmate. Thanks to the work of our detectives, FDLE and our deputy, this dirt bag’s short-lived drug dealing career is over. And this time, he needs to go to prison for decades.”
Fitzpatrick served five years in state prison from September 2011 to October 2016 for Burglary, Grand Theft and Fleeing and Eluding a Law Enforcement Officer. Just 15 months after his first release from state prison, he returned for a second stint on new charges including Burglary and Fleeing and Eluding a Law Enforcement Officer. He then served more than three years in prison and was last released in October 2021.
The FDLE Tri-County Narcotics Task Force consist of multiple agencies including FCSO, St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office, Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Palatka Police Department, St. Augustine Police Department, Homeland Security and ATF.
Date: 2-28-22
Prepared by: Don Foley
Release #: 2022-049
