TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution will be charging Kenneth Jones of Palm Beach County with two counts of first-degree felony organized retail theft with prior convictions for stealing massive amounts of baby formula.
“Stealing baby formula away from parents who rely on it to feed their children is unconscionable,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “This will be one of the first times someone’s been charged with the increased penalties for retail theft since Governor DeSantis signed HB 549 into law last year, which makes certain repeat offenders eligible for 30 years in prison. Thanks to the excellent investigative work by Sheriff Bradshaw’s team, our Office of Statewide Prosecution will be able to hold this criminal accountable.
“This is not a victimless crime and Florida is not going to stand for it,” said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. “You know who the victim of this crime is? You—because the retailers are going to jack up the price and put it on the consumer. I appreciate Attorney General Uthmeier for seeing the bigger picture and holding these criminals accountable.”…