Nine years ago when he was a 48-year-old Palm Coast resident, Fountain walked into the Flagler Beach Publix store off State Road 100 just before the bridge, went to the service desk up front, lifted his shirt to expose the butt of a gun, gave the clerk a bag, and told the clerk to put all the money in the bag. He got $2,667 and ran out. He used some of the the money to pay overdue power bills and cable bills and tried to stave off foreclosure after falling behind on his $750-a-month mortgage payments. (The property was eventually foreclosed.)
A Flagler Beach police investigation caught up with him.
He was on probation for grand theft at the time. He was found guilty of the Publix robbery, convicted and sentenced to five years in prison followed by five years on probation. He was released from state prison in early 2020. His probation was set to expire in a few weeks.
On Tuesday, Fountain, now 57 and a resident of Flagler Beach, walked into the same Publix at a little after noon–roughly the same time when he’d committed his robbery in 2015–wearing a Beatles t-shirt on top of a gray shirt, light-colored shorts and a camouflage hat, went to the same service desk, gave the clerk a Publix bag and said: “Quickly and quietly, put the money in the bag from the register.”
This time the clerk, a 20-year-old woman, told Fountain that she needed a manager’s permission to access the cash. He told her she was lying. She turned the computer screen his way to prove that she couldn’t log in. What he hadn’t seen was the clerk’s quick and smart moves moments earlier, when she’d managed to log herself out. Just then another customer walked up and stood behind Fountain. He grabbed the bag and ran out.
As authorities were investigating, they learned of a similar-style robbery attempt at the Publix in Palm Coast’s Town Center. The surveillance footage there revealed that the person wore similar clothing, but that the dark Beatles shirt may have been worn inside-out. The gray shirt was still visible under the Beatles shirt.
Flagler Beach police sent surveillance footage to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Real Time Crime Center, whose facial recognition software matched up the images with Fountain. A detective went to his home at 2474 North Oceanshore Boulevard, where he was living with a roommate. The roommate described to the detective what Fountain was wearing that day. The clothing matched what authorities had seen in the surveillance footage at the stores. The roommate also told the detective that Fountain was due back with money to pay the utility bills.
Fountain was subsequently arrested and charged with attempted robbery, a second degree felony with a maximum penalty of 15 years, and held at the Flagler County jail on $25,00 bond on that charge, and on no bond on the probation violation.
Doug says
Your 57-years-old, isn’t it time to grow-up a little bit? Moron.
Mr. Bill says
Publix ….where robbing is a pleasure. No utility bills where he’s going .
Alan says
This guy is insane, what a moron! Lock him up for a long time, we do not need this type of person is society.
R.S. says
If he is an insane moron, y’all, he should be institutionalized; if he is poverty stricken and desperate, he is to be pitied and helped; and he’s unlikely to be a vicious hoodlum or he would have made a living of this and would probably have killed one or the other meanwhile. Either way, jail is about the dumbest, most ignorant, and most unsuccessful way to try to rehabilitate him. Probably this society will relegate him to the trash heap of humanity–lamentably so.
FlaPharmTech says
Don’t understand how he lives on Oceanshore in FB. Obviously he cannot afford it. A fool and his (lack of) money…
Again says
Good riddance, guy is an idiot beyond comprehension. In 2015 I would’ve loved to have a $750 mortgage. Imagine me 2 years out of high school would’ve been more than able to pay that, meanwhile we got a 50 something year old guy robbing to pay his bills. Should’ve just called me😂
JimboXYZ says
Wow, got to the finish line for probation and then it’s a reboot back into the criminal life. Rinse & repeat cycle of perpetual losing.
Zen Cho says
If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.
The dude says
I guess picking palmetto berries just wasn’t working out.
Florida man never disappoints.
Pogo says
@Hello Daniel
As you are not a member in good standing of the Mar-a-Lago Club, and are ineligible to vote, I have taken a decision to postpone your pardon — pending receipt of some contribution (wink, wink) to the betterment of a fellow American, e.g., even me.
Hang tough,
DJT, Supreme Leader, Sexiest Combover Alive for all time.
Alex says
This is what you call a really dumb criminal. At least now with his second sentence in prison he won’t have to worry about paying any utility bills.
Bill Lyon says
“Stupid is as stupid does” comes to mind….
Sherry says
It seems to me that this guy would be perfect for a leadership position on trump’s ass kissing team. He would fit right in!
Another Human (I hope) says
I have no right or privilege to criticize this man. I have no idea what prompted him to this edge. All I can say is I wish he found some help to bail him out of his situation.
Donald J Trump says
I’ll bail you out and provide a full Pardon for all past and future crimes, if you will agree to a Recess Appointment as my Director of our Federal Prision System.
kathleen fountain says
It is very difficult to come back and do well after a prison term. There is very little help available for ex-cons. It is very difficult to find someone to hire you at a good job. If you are lucky, you can work at McDonalds. No one can live on the kinds of salaries available to them. If your car breaks down, you can’t afford to fix it and that limits the job options to places you can reach without a car. If you are hospitalized for an extended period of time, you have no income and party time job offers dry up. Of course you can’t afford health care. He tried very very hard. No job, no ability to pay the rent or to buy food. Pending eviction. You get desperate. Let it be clear that once he was at Publix, he realized what a bad decision he had made and turned and left without any money. Have a little compassion for people who get caught in such a combination of circumstances.