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‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing:’ Real estate agents accused of exploiting sickly Florida couple

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‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing:’ Real estate agents accused of exploiting sickly Florida couple


FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A pair of real estate agents behind bars in Flagler County are accused in what Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood called an elaborate scam targeting an Ormond Beach couple looking to sell their properties, leading to one of the victim’s deaths after one of the agents signed a do-not-resuscitate order (DNR) on their behalf.

Jason Valiant, 45, of Palm Coast, was arrested Thursday night by Flagler deputies on an out-of-county warrant for charges including an organized scheme to defraud, exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult, grand theft over $100,000, grand theft of a vehicle, criminal use of personal ID information and illegal use of credit cards, Chitwood said on social media.

Jason Valiant, 45 (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office)

69-year-old Constance Kellner, another real estate agent, is named in Valiant’s affidavit. According to Chitwood, the Palm Coast woman faces two charges of accessory after the fact.

Kellner is accused of working with Valiant as a witness to form signings and of accompanying Valiant during later interviews with investigators, activities allegedly taken to help exploit 64-year-old Daniel Farley and 61-year-old Emmett Mood, the latter of whom died on July 2 after being taken off life support.

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“The investigation showed that she had full knowledge of Valiant’s scheme,” Chitwood said of Kellner.

The date of July 2 was noted by investigators as the day after Valiant completed Mood’s DNR form process.

Kellner was arrested Friday in Flagler County, also on an out-of-county warrant.

Constance Kellner, 69 (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office)

Valiant’s affidavit is comprised of more than a dozen pages detailing allegations he stole $18,825 from Farley and Mood’s bank accounts — yet was unsuccessful in attempts to take another $14,000 when suspicions arose at the bank — willed their home and two other properties to himself, used Mood’s credit card for such purchases as gas, food and drink, vehicle detailing, legal fees and teeth whitening, and used their Dodge Ram pickup truck as if it was his.

The 3 properties Valiant acquired after the victim’s death totaled $1.6 million, according to property appraiser valuations. Two of the properties were oceanfront Flagler Beach parcels that Valiant and another (real estate agent), Constance Kellner, spoke of developing into a large condo complex or hotel.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Facebook (excerpt)

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The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) began investigating Valiant on June 20 after receiving a report that Farley and Mood were possible victims of elder exploitation.

Farley had been admitted to the hospital on May 28 and Mood was admitted to the same hospital on June 2, the latter of whom became extremely ill, according to the affidavit. The report received by DCF stated that in the couple’s absence, Valiant worked to take possession of their assets.

Investigators said Valiant’s girlfriend told them of conversations she heard between Valiant and Kellner which dealt in dreams of developing the couple’s land for their own gain.

(The girlfriend) stated over the past year she was occasionally party to conversations between Valiant and Kellner, whereby the two real estate agents talked of developing Mood’s Flagler Beach properties, which are prime ocean front land. In the conversations, Valiant and Kellner spoke of being the principal developers of Mood’s property and building either a large condominium complex or a multi-story hotel on the property and doing so by “cutting Mood out of the deal” and marketing the property themselves to a large development company. (The girlfriend) stated Valiant often told her this was a once in a lifetime chance to retire early, and said he would name the project, “Valiant Towers”.

Volusia Sheriff’s Office non-arrest affidavit of Jason Valiant (excerpt)

Among what the girlfriend told investigators, she reported Valiant to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation after suspecting he was presenting lowball offers from fictitious buyers to Mood in what she described as attempts to make him willingly sell one of his properties to “Trusted Experts Network LLC” — a company listed under Valiant’s name — well under fair market value.

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Valiant was able to sign a DNR form for Mood after agreeing to serve as health care surrogate to him and Farley, the affidavit states. Though hospital staff reportedly attempted to reach Farley’s brother to serve in the role for his part, he declined at the time, citing he lived several states away.

Hospital records were uncovered which showed Valiant on June 9 arrived at the hospital with Kellner and a notary public to execute the power of attorney forms (POA) for Farley and Mood, designating him as health care surrogate and as having POA authority for all affairs and decisions — fiduciary and otherwise — on behalf of the two.

Kellner at one point accompanied Valiant to an interview with a DCF investigator, during which she allegedly slapped Valiant’s leg — reportedly telling him, “Don’t say that” — after Valiant said that Mood’s health had deteriorated to the point he could no longer make his own decisions, the affidavit states. After Kellner was then asked to leave the room, the investigator pressed Valiant on how Mood could have knowingly signed notarized documents in spite of the health conditions Valiant claimed. Valiant could not answer the question, according to the affidavit.

(The investigator) continued by questioning why Mood would sign over the deeds to his properties and transfer every asset he possessed to Valiant, a real estate agent with no personal relationship to him, and not his partner of 30 plus years. Additionally, she reminded Valiant that he had just stated the sole purpose of the POA’s over Mood and Farley were to have access to their bank accounts to help them pay bills, not to transfer Mood’s properties into his name. Valiant’s only response was to state everything was done by an attorney and was legal. Valiant then advised he did not wish to answer any additional questions, and he got up and left the room.

Volusia Sheriff’s Office non-arrest affidavit of Jason Valiant (excerpt)

Valiant is being held on a $375,000 bond while Kellner is being held on $25,000 bond, records show.

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Thanks to our Volusia Sheriff’s Office fraud unit, Valiant is now in custody for his elaborate scam on this couple who originally hired him to sell their property.

Unfortunately, they chose a wolf in sheep’s clothing who saw an opportunity to make himself rich.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Facebook (excerpt)


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FBI says suspects tried to rob Offset outside a Florida casino when he was shot in the leg

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FBI says suspects tried to rob Offset outside a Florida casino when he was shot in the leg


The rapper Offset was ambushed by a “large group” of people who tried to rob him outside a Florida casino last week when he was shot in the leg, the FBI said Tuesday.

Federal investigators said that they are still searching for the suspects who assaulted Offset last Monday night outside of Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, just north of Miami. Throughout the assault, a single shot was fired into Offset’s leg before an unsuccessful attempt to remove the rapper’s watch, the statement said. Offset, who rose to fame as part of the influential hip-hop trio Migos, was hospitalized for a couple of days, but swiftly returned to the stage at a performance at a music festival at the University of Arkansas on Saturday.

The suspects fled the scene in two Chevrolet SUVs that went in separate directions: A black Suburban that fled towards Hollywood, Florida, and a Tahoe that fled southbound towards Miami.

Following the shooting, officers detained two people, but law enforcement hasn’t shared evidence to directly tying either one to the shooting.

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One of the people detained was rapper Lil Tjay, born Tione Jayden Merritt. He was arrested in connection with an altercation that occurred before the shooting, the Seminole Police Department in Florida said. He was charged with disorderly conduct and operating a vehicle without a valid license. His lawyer, Dawn M. Florio, told The Associated Press last week that Lil Tjay did not have a gun and was not charged with any weapons or gun-related crimes. He was swiftly released after posting bond.

Offset, born Kiari Kendrell Cephus, launched his career with Migos, one of the most popular hip-hop groups of all time. The Atlanta trio is celebrated for their rapid-fire triplet flow, an often-imitated delivery that changed the trajectory of trap.

The group had several multiplatinum selling singles, including “Bad and Boujee,” which went No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, “Stir Fry,” and “Narcos.” Migos released four full-length albums across their career.

More than three years ago, Offset’s cousin Takeoff, another member of Migos, was shot and killed at a Houston bowling alley.

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Florida teenager charged with sexually assaulting and killing stepsister Anna Kepner on cruise ship

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Florida teenager charged with sexually assaulting and killing stepsister Anna Kepner on cruise ship


A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the 6 November death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship, the US justice department said Monday.

Timothy Hudson was initially charged in February and subsequently indicted on 10 March. But the breadth of the case was not known until a seal was lifted Friday, weeks after US district judge Beth Bloom in Miami said he would be prosecuted as an adult at the request of the government.

Anna Kepner, Hudson’s stepsister, had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship with her family. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother.

The cause of Kepner’s death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

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Email and voicemail messages seeking comment from Hudson’s attorneys about the charges were not immediately returned Monday. Hudson, whose name was disclosed through his signature on documents filed in federal court, has remained free in the care of an uncle since his arrest in February.

Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, released a statement, saying the family was placing “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity”.

“At the same time, we are deeply troubled that, despite the seriousness of the charges, he has not been taken into custody,” Kepner said. “The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family.”

In a written statement, US attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said, “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss. A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters.”

Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian school in Titusville, Florida, about 40 miles (65 kilometres) east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November, family members encouraged people to wear bright colors instead of the traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul”.

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Teens are rarely prosecuted in federal court. Hudson pleaded not guilty when he was initially charged in February, though the proceedings were not public because of his age – and neither were court documents. He was seen at the courthouse wearing a ball cap and a hoodie pulled tightly around his face.

A judge on 6 February said Hudson must wear an electronic tether while living with an uncle. The order was changed to allow him to join his father for a few days recently at a landscaping business, newly unsealed court records show.

Prosecutors objected to Hudson’s release, citing dangerousness, and asked a judge Monday to revisit that order now that he has been charged as an adult. Defense lawyers were given a week to respond.

“He committed these crimes against a victim with whom he had no apparent relational strife, and whom he was being raised to view as a sibling,” assistant US attorney Alejandra López said in a court filing.



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16-year-old from Florida charged with sexually assaulting, killing stepsister on Carnival Cruise ship

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16-year-old from Florida charged with sexually assaulting, killing stepsister on Carnival Cruise ship


MIAMI – A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday.

The teen, identified by the government as T.H., was initially charged as a juvenile on Feb. 2, but the case was sealed until U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered that he would be prosecuted as an adult, the department said.

An email and voicemail seeking comment from T.H.’s lawyer about the indictment were not immediately returned.

Anna Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother.

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The cause of Kepner’s Nov. 6 death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, some 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November, family members encouraged people to wear bright colors instead of the traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.”

Teens prosecuted in federal court are extremely rare. T.H. was seen at the Miami courthouse on Feb. 6, wearing a ball cap and a hoodie pulled tightly around his face. But his status at that time was not fully known because his age barred public disclosures by his lawyer, the government or the court.

Experts believe the case is in federal court, and not a state court where teens are commonly prosecuted, because Kepner died in international waters.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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