TAMPA, Fla. – Fourteen people have been arrested and $5 million worth of stolen merchandise recovered as authorities uncovered a major retail theft organization.
During a news conference Wednesday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced its’ retail theft unit broke up an organized theft operation that spanned multiple states.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said detectives seized $5 million in stolen goods, $220,000 in cash and multiple vehicles.
“This was not a group of opportunistic thieves,” Chronister said. “This was a highly organized criminal enterprise operating across state lines, targeting businesses, and profiting off stolen goods at a massive scale. If you are stealing, trafficking, or buying stolen property in Hillsborough County, we will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”
During a news conference Wednesday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced its’ retail theft unit arrested 14 people and broke up an organized theft operation that stole $5 million in goods and spanned multiple states. https://t.co/19DQan2tQf pic.twitter.com/YzgyNnIrQl
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Detectives said the group used several methods to steal merchandise from major retailers, including Home Depot and Lowe’s, as well as from construction sites.
The suspects stole products directly from stores, used false invoices to obtain goods at lower prices, and, in some cases, returned stolen items for refunds before stealing the same products again, officials said.
The stolen property included appliances, tools, electrical supplies, construction materials, fixtures, and hardware. The criminal enterprise spanned multiple states, with thefts occurring throughout Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Detectives identified a residence in Lutz as the central hub of the operation and tracked stolen merchandise from theft locations to distribution and storage sites. The items were then sold from the central hub or through online marketplaces, according to officials.
More than 1,800 online sales transactions linked to the operation over the last year and estimated that $7 million in proceeds, the sheriff said.
Authorities identified 55-year-old Hoover Rengifo as the person at the center of the operation. Rengifo, along with the 13 other suspects, are facing a variety of charges including racketeering, trafficking in stolen property, money laundering, and grand theft.
“Enterprises like this take millions of dollars in products off the shelves, and consumers foot the bill as retailers try to recover the costs,” said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Thanks to interagency collaboration, we dismantled this crime ring from the top down, and we will hold them accountable.”