A month ago Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly held a news conference about the arrest of two people involved in an R-Section home invasion that resulted in the shooting death of a man. Staly was seething. Not just about the drug deal gone bad that took a life, but about the fact that he could not name the alleged drug dealer at the center of the deal: Danial Marashi.
It was Marashi who had allegedly set up the drug deal out of his parents’ home in the R-Section. It was Marashi who shot Zaire Roberts dead when the deal took a wrong turn. Roberts, 23, Kwentel Lakelvrick Moultrie, 23, and Moultrie’s girlfriend Taylor Manjarres, 19, had set up the drug deal earlier in the day with Marashi. They allegedly decided to rob Marashi instead, after Marashi flashed bundles of cash to Manjarres that afternoon. (See: “Resident Involved in Drug Deal Gone Bad Killed Zaire Roberts After Getting Shot, Reports Show.”)
Roberts had just been released from prison after several years’ incarceration for shooting another man. He allegedly came at Marashi with a gun. Marashi killed Roberts. The shootout at 8 Regent Lane in Palm Coast took place the night of Dec. 29.
But Marashi wasn’t charged–not for drug-dealing, not for shooting Roberts. Moultrie and Manjarres were, for second degree murder, because Roberts died while they were allegedly committing a felony. Marashi was just defending himself, at least according to the official narrative of the incident.
At the news conference on Feb. 28, Staly couldn’t even name Marashi because of the expansive–and often erroneous–application of the newly enacted Marsy’s Law, which protects the identity of victims involved in crimes. But you could tell he wanted to, because he did not like referring to Marashi as a “victim.” So Staly repeatedly called him the “victim drug dealer.”
Today, Staly could finally call him what he’s wanted to call him all along: a “dirtbag,” And he could name him, if still without explicitly connecting him to the Dec. 29 shooting.
“This dirtbag endangered the lives of others by running a red light,” Staly said, before only alluding to the Dec. 29 incident, though in obvious dot-connecting ways: “He was also involved in a drug-related home invasion last year. He came to our attention then and stayed on our radar. All I can say is karma! I commend our deputies for going beyond the crash
investigation and arresting him.”
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Marashi, 26, after he was involved in a car crash Thursday at Royal Palms Parkway and Belle Terre Parkway. He was driving a white Chrysler. Traffic cam footage released by the Sheriff’s Office clearly shows Marashi blowing through a red light at the intersection (after a tentative slowdown), violating an oncoming car’s right of way, and causing it to broadside Marashi’s car in the sort of crash that could have taken the other driver’s life but for a split second’s difference in the violent collision. Marashi could have struck him on the driver’s side instead of being struck on the passenger side. Still, that was the least of it.
As deputies were investigating the crash, they detected a strong odor of pot emanating from his vehicle. A deputy asked Marashi if he had anything illegal on him. Marashi said no, that all he had “literally” was weed “and the Glock.”
There was a loaded Glock firearm on the floorboard, for which Marashi did not have a concealed carry permit. (He did not need a permit to have a firearm at home, or to use it there, as he did in the killing of Roberts.) Deputies also found a 19-round magazine and a rifle. They found oxycodone and 67 grams of pot in the car, 47 grams above the limit for misdemeanors, making the possession a felony, plus a loose joint and loose marijuana and other drug substances. They also found paraphernalia typically used by dealers.
Marashi called for his mother, who turned up at the scene. He asked her to have his attorney contacted.
Then he spoke the textbook words of the privileged and well-heeled in the habits of getting arrested and getting away: “I mean, do I have to go to jail? Can’t you all just give me a write-up, then I just go to court like I always fo?”
Marashi claimed to deputies at the scene that his attorney had told him he could legally carry a firearm “but needed to follow the three step rule,” according to a sheriff’s report.
A sheriff’s release states Marashi now faces charges of Possession of Hashish, felony Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Oxycodone, Carrying a Concealed Firearm and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His criminal history dates back to February 2016. The Port Orange Police Department and the Daytona Beach Police Department have both previously arrested Marashi in 2016 and 2019, respectively. Previous charges include Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Battery, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Marijuana.
The arrest doesn’t dispense with the fact that Marashi remains the state’s only witness in the prosecution of Moultrie and Manjarres, giving him significant leverage. On the other hand, the state now also has four local felony charges to hang over Marashi’s head and the threat of actual prison time as bargaining chips.
Marashi spent all of five hours at the Flagler County jail. At 5 this morning, he posted bail on $10,500 bond and was released.
Richard Smith says
Our town getting better and better..
CRB says
Why is he aloud to have a gun at all? Prison time makes him a felon correct or am I wrong?
FlaglerLive says
He has not been convicted of a felony, only charged.
john says
unreal this guy is driveing like a mad devil through the streets of palm coast and they let him off ,,,small bail amount this is a joke thank GOD THE OTHERE DRIVE WAS NOT KILLED OR HURT
ROBERT young says
I’VE told DBPD for months who and what Danial Marashi is and does. no one cared.
I spoke with Chief Young and told that Danial Marashi was / will kill someone else and that hes a danger yo society. He chain smokes weed all day then drives around selling weed it was bound to happen. Ive got 2 charges against him in Daytona right now. No one gives a shit. Ive got him on camera committing crimes and no one would arrest him.
Potheadjonesy says
How does chain smoking weed make you a menace or a threat to society? Why was that part necessary to add to the comment? I smoke weed all day to, but I work 5 am til 7pm. Still make time for my family, and go to church every sunday…. no one cares about the Mary anymore.. wreckers driving yeah.. armed robbery yeah… but none of that seems from smoking grass buddy..
ASF says
Lord, I’d hate to think what you do for a living while you are high as a kite! I hope it doesn’t entail driving a vehicle or operating machinery!.
Mark1 says
Relax, we all get high and go-to work. No just jonsey here. It’s no different then drinking coffee and going to work. Drug is a drug no big deal.
Steve says
Not too bright Lock him up
joe stolfi says
This is getting OLD FAST .. Until the judges, courts, & legal system seriously changes:
Sadly, somebodies will step into their place
it’s the way the game works, Cops & Robbers .
The “War on Drugs” is over 50 years old,
only the “investors” win, losers get caught,
and go to J A I L, or maybe, lose their life in a bad deal ..
It’s past time the “War on Drugs” changes,
perhaps the USA will take a look at Portugal
and follow their example ..
Then again, what will happen to the game ? .. Cops & Robbers
Jimbo99 says
They’ll most likely give him enough leniency for what he’s after until the other matter of the other two involved in the murder is settled as best that can be cleaned up. They’ll also stay on top of him like stink on poop. This is a dude with limited options. His only trade is dealing drugs, he needs a gun to carry out those deals for his own protection. And that day he’ll get caught for running a traffic light, speeding, whatever else is scrutinized as the tool law enforcement has at it’s avail. Don’t get me wrong, there is no sympathy/empathy for this one. But let’s face it, the routine traffic stop is the gateway to keeping pressure on the anyone when they are “on the radar screen”. Law enforcement knew who he was and diligence paid off, that’s not karma, that’s being on the radar screen. He’ll be easy to pop again 6 months, a year, anytime going forward for the rest of his life. And with the shared record, he can’t even remove himself from Flagler county, he’s a trapped animal really. no options, no where to run, no where to hide. And would the system even allow him to clean his act/life up really ? He’s gone past that for the most part. If he ends up getting to 50+ years old, what crimes will he incorporate into the record of criminal services ? Will it be robbery, will it be sexual predator/offender ? Short of winning the lottery this one is in for a harder life. That’s just the way the law enforcement & criminal justice system works & has since the existence of mankind.
I can only hope other’s read this and understand the Criminolgy is ahead of them, fully funded enough that very little gets by for the masses. Even those at the top, as criminals, any good out of them is harvested for lack of a better description. Skakel-Moxley comes to mind, a Kennedy relative allowed to live a life and then they popped him hard for the murder of Moxley. If a Kennedy isn’t getting away with murder, what makes anyone think they’re getting away with much of anything ? Moral of the story, think before doing something really stupid to ruin their lives (and others lives).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Martha_Moxley
Dennis C Rathsam says
Bail wasnt high enough….Now this DIRTBAG is free again…CCmon RICK!!!
CRB says
Not Ricks doing
He doesn’t make the laws…. Just enforce’s them….
oldtimer says
The sheriff doesn’t set bail
Skibum says
CCmon Rick? As in Staley, our sheriff? Don’t you realize that law enforcement has NOTHING to do with the bail amount someone charged with a crime has to pay to get out of jail? The jail receives the bail amount, often through a bail bondsman, then releases the arrestee to await a court appearance. The sheriff/jail in each county do not determine bail amounts to be set. Florida law determines bail procedures, and actual bail amounts are set by each county, through the court system.
PC Dave says
I like Rick Staley, but I sometimes worry that his words will be used in court to try to prove the sheriff’s dept is prejudicial. Keep doing a great job, but maybe tone down the rhetoric.
Justice for Anthony Fennick says
Rick Staly, (NOT the department) is NOTHING BUT, a PREJUDICIAL, self-righteous individual!! Just wait and see.. his words, treatment of others and his precious cockiness IS GOING to cost him in court.. just wait and see. 😉
Mark1 says
Should sue the Sherrif for public slander. It is not a Sherrifs place to judge. Very dangerous of the Sherrif and very unprofessional
Skibum says
He’s what we who have been in law enforcement have referred to as “job security”… someone who’s always in the mix, getting arrested time and time again. Not to worry folks. He has by now already decided how he wants to live his life – as a criminal drug dealer. They tend to not have a long life span. As his criminal record grows more and more extensive, and as he spends his time around other criminal elements in society, some very violent as he has found out just like the situation he was in where he killed another druggie during a drug transaction gone bad, he will end up either doing a long stint in prison or an even longer, much longer stint buried in the dirt. Either way, society will be better off. His mommie who he called after this traffic collision when he wanted her to contact his attorney, wow, she must be so proud of her dirtbag drug dealing felon of a son!
MikeM says
Throw this POS in a deep dark hole and don’t let him out until his 80’s . The law needs to get more draconian with these death dealers. Drug dealers are scum of the earth.
ASF says
Mommy isn’t doing her 26 year old son or anyone else any favors by continually enabling her son’s criminal tendencies.
Alonzo says
Killed someone and out. Dont know the full story, but what I understand is he he not good on the streets. I hope he will not kill another person.
The dude says
Geofencing and unmitigated government surveillance save the day again!!!
Said no one, ever.
Why wasn’t the dude locked up when he killed that other dude? Shouldn’t self-defense be off the table when in the midst of committing a crime like drug dealing? He should be up on second degree murder himself.
Hmmm says
You dont need a concealed carry permit to have a firearm in your vehicle in Florida.
The dude says
Free the weed.
Get people like this off the streets, and out of our residential areas.
Ignore the propaganda they spoon fed you when you were younger. “Reefer Madness” was not a documentary, it was propaganda. Legalizing weed will not “lead to boogie dancing and inter mingling of the races…” well it might, but why is that a problem?
Palm Coast says
Is this a fing joke ?? And here I’m that was sitting in jail for 3 fing moth for a joint . And had no bail ….We all know he went right back to doing what he was doing . Fucked up. (Excuse my French )