Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced charges against seven defendants for allegedly stealing smoke detectors from The Home Depot during a press conference in Tallahassee this week. The bust, which crossed multiple states, was led by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement.
“This operation is the result of a great partnership between Florida’s Ag Law and our Office of Statewide Prosecution,” Uthmeier said. “We are proud that Florida doesn’t have stores with merchandise locked behind glass like you see in California, and we intend to keep it that way.”
According to case details, the bust uncovered at least 44 smoke detector thefts at 17 Home Depot locations across the state, including Pasco, Polk, Highlands, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Orange, St. Lucie, Brevard, Lee, Manatee, Flagler, Sarasota, Seminole, Duval, St. Johns, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties.
In all, Home Depot officials estimated $800,000 in losses from the ring. However, law enforcement personnel were able to recover $78,000 in stolen merchandise during a search warrant at a storage unit in Hillsborough County.
Uthmeier's office also specified that the Hillsborough storage unit was a median of the trafficking route to a larger facility in Houston, Texas. According to Agricultural Law Enforcement, $300,000 of stolen merchandise was discovered at this location.
"At The Home Depot, combating organized retail crime is about protecting the safety of our customers, associates, and communities," Home Depot VP of Asset Protection Scott Glenn said. "We're grateful for the leadership and willingness of Attorney General Uthmeier and Florida lawmakers to stop these criminals, and we remain committed to working with law enforcement and policymakers to address this growing issue."
All seven suspects were charged with Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, Organized Retail Theft, and Dealing in Stolen Property. Uthmeier also noted the suspects had 170 prior arrests in all.
Those charged were Willie Hendry Delmarta Marquis Harvin, Earl Choyce Gordon II, Charles McCloud Jr, Eduardo Franco Viruet, Dwight Rachard Mosby, Eugene Rohala Oneal, and Hermis Brayan Martinez Sierra.
Florida Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson praised the work of his office partners in the crackdown.
“Today’s announcement shows Florida means business when it comes to organized retail theft. Our Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement — working with local and state partners — led a months-long investigation that dismantled a major criminal enterprise stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars of products from Home Depot stores across our state,” Simpson said. “While too many states are weakening their laws and turning a blind eye to retail theft, Florida is strengthening its laws and holding criminals accountable. If you steal from Florida businesses and citizens, expect to be caught and prosecuted.”
