ORLANDO, Fla. – A man accused of selling sick puppies alongside fraudulent veterinary and pedigree certificates is now facing criminal charges - five months after News 6 began asking the state questions about his business.
Jesus Sheldon Jude Barker faces several charges, including forgery and scheme to defraud, according to investigators with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
‘I got a sick dog’
Christine Messina paid $3,000 for a puppy she named Daisy through a website called Florida Goldens — flgoldens.com — in November 2025.
According to the website, Florida Goldens is a “marketplace for you to find your golden or goldendoodle of your dreams.”
“She was going to be my family,” Messina said.
Four days after Messina brought the puppy to her Tavares home, Daisy died.
“I did not get a healthy dog; I got a sick dog,” Messina told News 6.
According to the necropsy report, the likely cause of Daisy’s death was an intestinal intussusception. This means a portion of the puppy’s small intestine had folded into the next section, causing a severe blockage and cutting off blood flow to that part of the gut.
After Daisy’s death, Messina says she tried reaching out to Florida Goldens multiple times, but did not receive a response. Eventually, later that month, the man who sold her the dog agreed to give her a refund, Messina claimed, but the money never arrived.
“On the 15th (of December) they emailed me and claimed the check got returned (in the mail),” Messina said.
As of this report, Messina has yet to be refunded.
Fake paperwork
When Messina picked up Daisy at a home in Winter Park, she said she received two documents: a veterinary health certificate which claimed the dog was healthy and an American Kennel Club certificate confirming the dog’s pedigree. News 6 uncovered both documents are fraudulent.
The American Kennel Club stated the pedigree form was fake.
“That’s not how our logo looks at all, and that’s actually not our executive secretary’s signature either,” said Brandi Munden, V.P. of Communications, American Kennel Club.
The veterinarian whose name appeared on the health certificate, Dr. Hiram Pomales, is listed as an equine veterinarian — meaning he specializes in horses.
Dr. Pomales told News 6 and later told investigators that he did not fill out the form, and it had been altered.
News 6 investigation cited in arrest warrant
The arrest warrant specifically cites News 6’s investigation and an on-camera interview with a man at the Winter Park home where Messina said she picked up Daisy.
“Oh well, like, I mean if there’s like, so I help people find like, so we deliver dogs so like I would put her directly with the breeder that she got her dog from. I don’t breed dogs at all,” the man responded.
The day after we went to that home, the Florida Goldens website shut down, replaced with a message thanking its supporters.
Pattern of alleged fraud, multiple victims
Investigators say Messina is not the only victim.
According to records, Barker sold puppies with forged veterinary and pedigree paperwork to at least two other buyers. The document stated one woman paid $2,850 for a golden retriever in November 2025. When she arrived home, she noticed the health certificate was a photocopy with the bottom cut off, investigators said. She later confirmed with Dr. Pomales that the paperwork had been altered.
Meantime, a man told investigators he paid $2,500 for a puppy also in November 2025. His dog was later diagnosed with coronavirus and giardia. His veterinarian told him the records appeared inaccurate, according to court documents.
According to investigators, Barker purchased 12 golden retrievers for $800 each- a total of $9,600 - then individually resold them at significantly higher prices, ranging from $2,500 to $3,000 per dog.
Investigators say Barker’s pattern extended beyond these three cases. Court documents note he operated several businesses that shut down after complaints were received, and review websites showed repeated patterns of dogs not matching what was advertised, altered paperwork, and sellers going silent when buyers asked for documentation.
Charges
Barker faces 16 counts total, including:
- One count of scheme to defraud (third-degree felony)
- Three counts of forgery (third-degree felony)
- Three counts of uttering forged instruments (third-degree felony)
- Three counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information (third-degree felony)
- Three counts of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony (third-degree felony)
- Three counts of failure to provide an official certificate of veterinary inspection for a dog offered for sale (first-degree misdemeanor)
Barker has not yet responded to these allegations in court.
Under Florida law, anyone who sells a dog or cat must provide a health certificate.