Jesse David Stover is a 57-year-old resident of the Palm Terrace mobile home community in Bunnell. He has an active imagination. He has allegedly been impersonating law enforcement officers for two years, at least to get himself a discount at Wendy’s.
On Monday, his scheme ran out when he ran into a savvier manager, and finished the day facing a felony charge and getting booked at the Flagler County jail.
He’d walked into the Wendy’s at the corner of State Road 100 and Commerce Parkway and said something about how he was going to “kick some ass,” according to a customer who was standing in line. When it was Stover’s turn, he placed his order, then asked the cashier for the law enforcement discount. The cashier alerted Jamie Davis, the 44-year-old manager. Davis told Stover he wasn’t getting the discount. Stover insisted. Davis asked to see his credentials (though not necessarily posing the question made famous by Wendy’s). Stover flashed a gold-color badge in a flip of his wallet. Davis didn’t buy it. She wanted to see it up close.
Stover argued and threatened to have Davis fired by sending her picture to “corporate,” according to Stover’s arrest report. But if he was an actual law enforcement officer, Davis told him, why was he being so resistant to producing the proof? Stover fabricated another story: he was with the Drug Enforcement Agency, he said (though even DEA agents have proper credentials and don’t generally cause problems at fast food joints). He then told the manager that he didn’t have to show her his badge. He continued to be argumentative. Davis called 911.
The manager would then tell Bunnell police officers that Stover had been a customer for two years and used to get discounts because he was friends with a cashier who was no longer at that store. Once that employee was gone, Stover stopped getting discounts but started telling stories about working undercover for the DEA, usually an indication that the person making the claim is definitely not an undercover agent of any sort. To Davis, that was fraud, if it was used to get discounts for meals.
Stover admitted to getting discounts in the past from a cashier, but denied claiming he’d ever passed himself off as a law enforcement officer. As for the badge, “he admitted that he had a concealed carry badge within his wallet, and that he did show it to the employee after they requested to see it,” his arrest report states, then said “he was a police officer a long time ago, but he was fired because he was an alcoholic.” The police officer searched Stover and found the badge, engraved with the words “concealed weapon permit,” which could easily be confused with an officer’s badge.
He was arrested on a charge of impersonating a law enforcement officer, a third degree felony. He was released later that day on $2,500 bond. The arrest report states that while the restaurant had surveillance video, it was not acquired at the time of the arrest, but would be retrieved “at a later date and time.” Absent the video, the case would rest on the sort of he-said-she-said testimony prosecutors are usually uncomfortable with, if they are to pursue such charges.
Various chain restaurants at times offer 10 to 15 percent discounts on certain items to first responders, including law enforcement and EMTs.
Duncan says
Please, give him the first responder discount (I think corporate can afford it) or stop giving a first responder discounts Wendy’s!
Wendy’s just cost taxpayers a few thousand dollars to arrest and prosecute someone looking for a good deal on a burger!
Law enforcement has “real” criminals to focus on.
DuckBill Quacks says
Bunnell Man With Concealed Weapon Permit Tests Positive For Blue Line Fever In Search of Bovine Discount
Wow says
Honest to God, why be sleazy to save $1.00? This is exactly the kind of person that should not have a concealed carry permit.
Karen A says
I think the bond that was posted is a bit more than the cost of the Wendys’…OMG.. oh well…guess he could afford the bond but not the Wendy’s. LOL
Larry says
Wendy’s food is a bit more than most fast food. Never hurts to ask.
Steve says
Overused statement but ya cant make this stuff up. Really? For a 10% discount. Please take his guns away while you are at it. Geeeez
Geezer says
Had Mr. Stover not pressed the issue, he wouldn’t be facing a felony charge.
Felony conviction=goodbye gun ownership.
Yes, he’s a doofus, but I hope he can plea down to a misdemeanor or diversion program
if he doesn’t have priors.
He’s kind of old to be committing his first felony for a 10-15% fast food discount.
Never mind those transfats!
And that badge! It’s a dandy, complete with an off-center justice logo.
Skibum says
I hope his burger was worth the felony arrest, visit to the gray bar hotel, mug shot, public humiliation, and pending court trial for what I call “felony stupid”. I don’t know why there are so many police impersonators here in FL, but most of them, like this nutbag, are complete jokes, who couldn’t get, or keep, a LEO job if they tried.
JD says
They don’t give citizens badges for concealed carry permits. It’s an ID card with your picture. So, the badge pretty much means he doesn’t have a concealed carry. Or, at least he didn’t present it.
Sherry says
@Duncan. . . on the contrary. In my opinion, they should do a complete investigation to find out whether he impersonated a law enforcement officer under other circumstances. They should also consider taking away his license to carry on concealed weapon if he is found to abuse that privilege as well. There may be much more to this story.
Mythoughts says
How low can you go? Lock him up and remind him he is not nor ever will be a law enforcement officers.
Ion says
Funny.
Olga says
I once impersonated a KGB Officer one time. I told them my name was Vald Puttin from Russia. I tried to get a 10% discount on Russian Vodka. The cashier ask me to say “Bullsh*t” in Russian. So I said, you mean чушь собачья ? She said ok, you win.
Dave says
You act stupid by impersonating a police officer, you deserve all the benefits of the court system in fining you and locking you up in jail. Also makes one wonder how many more times did this guy pull this I’m an undercover cop maybe pulling someone over, attempting to come into a home.
Roy Longo says
Unfortunately you can purchase them.
https://www.badgeandwallet.com/concealed-carry?gclid=Cj0KCQjwjN-SBhCkARIsACsrBz7IPmJKCcYvGnqziZ51gW7XqsaeU0E8q4SjPj2GQJzGAQ721YfrcCQaAv5aEALw_wcB
Geezer says
“you deserve all the benefits of the court system”
Yes indeedy! He’ll plea down, and move on.
Maybe you can bust him one day for stealing a Baby Ruth at Wally World.
You couldn’t pay me to impersonate a policeman.
I’d rather impersonate a fireman or an EMT.
Donald Trump Jr says
Duncan must be a friend of this Jesse loser. Lock that fat boy up. He shouldn’t be eating at Wendys anyway.