Volusia County, FL-The manager of a Papa Johns located near DeLand at 1129 N. Woodland Blvd. is charged with giving false information to law enforcement, grand theft and making a false robbery report.
More than a dozen Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies along with DeLand Police officers responded to the 9-1-1 call, “I’m the manager up here at Papa John’s, and I was just robbed,” early Saturday morning.
A perimeter was established and an extensive search, which included a K-9 unit and a Sheriff’s Office helicopter, took place for the alleged robber.
After about a 40-minute search, there was no sign of a robber. Deputies began asking more questions and the night shift manager, 24-year-old Justin Miller, became more evasive with his answers. The truth came out. There was no robbery. Miller had stolen the restaurant’s money and then made a phony report of being held up at knifepoint.
Miller originally said he was closing the business when someone came up behind him, poked a pocket knife in his back and demanded the money. Miller said he complied with the robber’s demands and turned over two deposit bags from the business containing a total of $1,332.
Miller led deputies to an outside chimney house, removed a cement block from a stack, reached in and pulled out the bags with the missing money.
He was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach, where he was being held on $3,500 bond.
Justin Miller
(Photo courtesy of Volusia County Jail)
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