A Lawtey man who previously ran youth baseball at the Edwards Road sports complex in Starke has been arrested on a felony grand theft charge after investigators say more than $5,600 worth of city-owned equipment went missing following the end of his contract.

Braxton Leon Britt, 44, was charged with one count of grand theft between $5,000 and $10,000, a third-degree felony. A warrant affidavit was filed March 11 by Bradford County Sheriff's Office Detective Mark Juen.

Contract Ended, Equipment Disappeared

Britt had operated the Bradford Youth Athletics Babe Ruth baseball league at the city-owned complex. The city of Starke terminated his contract at the end of 2025 and transitioned management of the facility to Bradford Sports United. Britt was allowed to host one final youth baseball tournament at the complex in late November 2025, and was given until December 1 to remove any personal equipment he had brought in. When renovation of the concession stand got underway on December 1, workers discovered the ice machine was gone.

When Bradford Sports United President Danny Riddick completed his inventory, a number of city-owned items were unaccounted for. Beyond the ice machine -- a commercial unit from Gainesville Ice Company valued at roughly $2,370 -- the missing property included six sets of baseball bases, two double first base sets, pitching rubbers, home plates, base plugs, and anchor tools.

Starke City Manager Russell Mullins told investigators that Britt had been given ample opportunity to return the missing items but had not done so.

Ice Machine Found at Bradford High School

A tip led investigators to Bradford High School, where a detective located the ice machine in the softball concession stand. When confronted, Britt claimed he and other parents had paid for the machine and that it bore no city property tag, but told the detective that if the city could prove ownership, they were welcome to it.

Bradford High School Principal Chris Coffey responded by removing Britt as the school's softball coach effective immediately, citing an incident unrelated to the school. Coach Belinda Phillips was named interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Britt Faces Felony Charge

Grand theft between $5,000 and $10,000 is a third-degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to five years in prison.

Bradford County News will update this story if additional charges are filed or court proceedings are scheduled.