Expand / Collapse search
☰

Florida inmate on prison work crew arrested after burglarizing home, deputies say

By
Published  May 2, 2025 2:51pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 35 Orlando
Inmate work crew member accused of burglary

Inmate work crew member accused of burglary

A Florida inmate that was assigned to a prison work crew contracted by the City of Palm Coast is facing additional charges after robbing a home while on work duty. Both the man and another state prison inmate that helped him have extensive criminal histories that include burglary and theft-related charges. Both inmates were relocated to disciplinary confinement and will no longer be permitted to participate in a state inmate work crew.

The Brief

    • A Florida inmate that was assigned to a prison work crew contracted by the City of Palm Coast is facing additional charges after robbing a home while on work duty.
    • Both the man and another state prison inmate that helped him have extensive criminal histories that include burglary and theft-related charges.
    • Both inmates were relocated to disciplinary confinement and will no longer be permitted to participate in a state inmate work crew.

BUNNELL, Fla. - A Florida inmate that was assigned to a prison work crew is facing additional charges after robbing a home while on work duty, Flagler County deputies say.

Officials said Jay Working, 33, has an extensive criminal history that includes burglary and theft-related charges. Deputies said another state prison inmate with similar charges, Gino Carnesi, helped Working commit the crimes.

Authorities say the crew was contracted by the City of Palm Coast.

Woman captures incidents on camera

The backstory:

On April 22, deputies said they received a report from a Palm Coast resident regarding suspicious activity that involved what she believed were city employees conducting maintenance near her backyard, which borders a city-maintained drainage swale.

According to the woman, she received notifications from her motion-activated security cameras while away from her home. When she returned, she reviewed the footage and saw two suspicious incidents involving men wearing high-visibility safety vests.

The first video shows Carnesi walking up to the woman's screened patio and looking in before then turning around and making a motion with his hands.

In the second video taken an hour later, another man, identified as Working, is seen approaching the patio. He then enters the patio and quickly runs out less than a minute later. The woman later noticed a pack of cigarettes and lighter had been stolen from the patio.

On April 30, detectives said they obtained an arrest warrant for Working for burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and petit theft from a dwelling (with prior conviction) and placed a detainer on him at Putnam Correctional Institution.

Jay Working, 33, will be transferred to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility upon his release from state prison. (Credit: Flagler County Sheriff's Office)

‘Something like this will not happen again’

What they're saying:

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly shared a statement involving the incident, saying there have been rumors spreading on social media among concerned residents. 

"These men were not work crew inmates from our detention facility and were not under the supervision of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.," he said. "We also took this incident seriously from the beginning and conducted a thorough investigation. Obviously, neither of them learned their lesson while in state prison. We are working with the City of Palm Coast and the Florida Department of Corrections to ensure that state inmates assigned to the city’s work crews and supervised by the city are more closely watched so that something like this will not happen again."

Extensive criminal history

Dig deeper:

During an investigation, detectives determined both Carnesi and Working were inmates from the Putnam Correctional Institution, assigned to a prison inmate work crew contracted by the City of Palm Coast. 

They had both previously been convicted on burglary and theft-related charges and sentenced by a court to state prison.

Working has an extensive criminal history, which includes prior convictions in Dixie County for charges including:

  • Burglary of an occupied dwelling
  • Burglary of an unoccupied structure;
  • Criminal mischief
  • Grand theft
  • Possession of a weapon by a convicted felon
  • Possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver

What's next:

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, both inmates were relocated to disciplinary confinement and will no longer be permitted to participate in a state inmate work crew.

Authorities said Working will be transferred to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility upon his release from state prison, presently set for May 31.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office in a social media post on May 2, 2025.

Crime and Public SafetyFlagler CountyNews