Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has charged four members of an alleged crime ring for stealing over $400,000 worth of truck parts, his office said on Tuesday.
Uthmeier said the four men, Geosvany Figueredo-Gonzalez, Brian Sanchez-Perez, Orlando Martinez-Dorta, and Liovel Urra-Penate, allegedly committed several burglaries of electronic control modules (ECMs) from Freightliner semi-trucks in Florida and Texas.
In addition, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed detainers on three of the men, while the fourth man's permanent status is being determined upon conviction.
"We have made it clear that crime doesn't pay in Florida, and if you’re an illegal alien, we will work with the Trump administration to remove you from our country," Uthmeier said in a release. "I'm grateful for the hard work by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in this case for uncovering this massive scheme. Our Statewide Prosecutors will ensure the only thing coming for these criminal aliens is a strong prison sentence and a flight back to where they came from."
All four were charged with violating the Florida Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, as well as dozens of counts of burglary of a conveyance, with an enhancement for traveling across county lines.
According to the investigation, evidence traced the defendants to ECM theft cases in Hillsborough, Duval, Lee, and Polk counties in Florida. They were also linked to cases in Travis and Williamson counties in Texas.
Specifically, the defendants allegedly stole $404,668 worth of ECMs, caused $372,000 in truck repairs, and stole from 93 truck owners. Â If convicted, all four defendants face up to 832 years in prison and deportation.
"This case is a strong example of what can be accomplished when local and state agencies work as one," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "The support from Attorney General James Uthmeier and our statewide prosecutors was not just helpful but essential. Without their partnership, the scope and success of this investigation simply would not have been possible. Together, we didn't just gather intelligence, we acted on it and delivered justice.”
