Date:
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested another sex offender who was wanted during Operation Offenders: Endgame for not complying with his registration requirements. The arrest of the offender, Christopher Raymond, 40, of Bunnell, on multiple charges brings the total arrests made in the operation to 44 and leaves only one offender still outstanding.
Raymond was one of four sex offenders living at the same residence, 4427 Acorn Ave., in Bunnell. During the operation’s initial phase of investigation, all four offenders — Raymond, Mark Balzarotti, Calib Callard, and Elijah Jackson — were found to have failed to properly report a change in vehicle ownership and detectives obtained an arrest warrant for each. When an enforcement team went to the residence on Aug. 25 to serve the warrants, they located Balzarotti, Callard, and Jackson, but Raymond was not at the residence.
On Sep. 1, the FCSO Fugitive Apprehension Unit located Raymond in a vehicle parked outside a residence on Kings Colony Court in Palm Coast. With assistance from the Problem Area Crime Enforcement Unit, deputies took Raymond into custody without incident.
During a search of Raymond’s person, deputies found two small plastic bags with methamphetamine concealed inside a Mentos container in his shorts pocket. Upon deputies finding the narcotics, Raymond uttered, “Of course. I got to stay awake for y’all motherf—ers.”
Upon detaining Raymond, deputies determined the vehicle he was driving belonged to a client he was doing handyman work for, who had recently died. Inside the vehicle, deputies located a handgun and two magazines with ammunition. Although Raymond denied the vehicle was his, deputies found a title indicating the vehicle had been “gifted” to him by the now-deceased owner. However, the title was never transferred and there are questions on its authentication. Detectives are continuing the investigation to determine if he had stolen the vehicle from a deceased person.
Deputies arrested Raymond for his warrant, possession of methamphetamine, and three counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held on a $62,500 bond.
“This offender’s run from the law only lasted a week,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Now this pervert and career offender is in the Green Roof Inn not only on his warrant, but for felony drug and weapons charges as well.”
Raymond has a lengthy arrest history, with 15 previous arrests for charges including lewd or lascivious conduct, possession of child pornography, failure to register as a sex offender, burglary, grand theft, dealing or trafficking in stolen property, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His arrests have resulted in 14 felony convictions, and he has served numerous sentences in state prison.
FCSO is still searching for Warren Franklin, a sex offender found to have absconded from his registered residence in Palm Coast, who is the last outstanding subject from Operation Offenders: Endgame. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to contact the FCSO non-emergency line at 386-313-4911 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS (8477).