Former Flip Factory employee arrested for giving out extra game cards
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kyle Sebastian Fowler, 38, was arrested yesterday on a warrant for giving out extra came cards as a Flip Factory employee in 2024, causing a loss of over $5,000 to the business.
An Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to Flip Factory (7400 W. Newberry Road) on August 10, 2024, where a manager said Fowler had been giving people extra game cards, along with extra benefits. The manager said surveillance video showed Fowler doing this on 12 different dates between July 22 and August 8, 2024, and the manager said that when he checked the system, it showed that Fowler was creating more game cards than he was supposed to, based on the purchased game plan. The loss to the business was calculated at $5,120.
A warrant for Fowler’s arrest was issued on January 29, 2026, by Judge David Kreider, with bail set at $5,000, and Fowler was arrested on February 15.
Fowler has been charged with grand theft and engaging in a scheme to defraud. He has no local criminal history, and he immediately posted bail and was released.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Dumbest arrest I’ve seen in a while. Why did this take two years? Where is the fraud? No allegation he was selling the extra cards and pocketing it? Or was he just making the guest experience more fun, at marginal actual economic cost to the owner?
Free Fowler, and Kyle next time let them know before you run a promotion that was random free game cards in addition to purchase.
I was guilty of much more egregious things as an employee. When I came clean, I was forgiven, and I appreciate that. I think they should do the same to this fellow. After all, shouldn’t they go after all those kids as being guilty of receiving stolen property? How good would THAT be for business ? I think Flip Factory now will have to deal with having a reputation for for meanness, as all the kids now realize how “uncool” they are.
I’m thinking maybe law enforcement encouraged the owners to cool their heels and let the perpetrator break the threshold for a felony amount, so that tasty Florida prison contractors could profit off yet another cell filled by a foolish, unscrupulous person.