Jury Finds Fulton Guilty of Stealing Firearm, Kidnapping Lyft Driver

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Rashard Fulton guilty of Kidnapping with a Firearm, Armed Burglary, and Grand Theft. With the verdict, Fulton faces up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Anthony Salem will sentence Fulton at a later date.

Around 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2026, Fulton walked into a Jacksonville pawn shop and asked to see a firearm. When the employee handed it over, Fulton ran out of the store with the weapon. The employee chased after Fulton, but he could not catch him. The theft was captured on store surveillance, and officers were called to the scene. Through video surveillance and witness information, Fulton was immediately identified as the thief. About two hours later and only half a mile down the road, Fulton spotted a person getting out of a rideshare car. He went up to the Lyft car and began pulling on the back driver’s side door, which was locked. When he couldn’t get in, Fulton went to the driver’s window and lifted his shirt to show the gun in his waistband. A passenger was in the car at the time and begged Fulton to let her out, which he did. Then Fulton forced the driver to take him to a business on Norwood Avenue. When Fulton got out of the car, the driver called 911. The passenger had also called 911 as soon as she was safely in her home.

On Jan. 8, 2026, the Community Problem Response Unit with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was assisting the Crime Gun Intelligence Center detectives with a search warrant. While on scene of the search warrant, detectives located Fulton and arrested him. The stolen firearm and its identification card were found in Fulton’s backpack.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Fallon Hinkley and Trinity Turinetti.