The Brief
- Three Miami-area residents face charges after investigators exposed a statewide operation involving stolen rental equipment.
- Detectives linked the ring to at least 55 pieces of equipment valued at over $52,000 across multiple counties.
- A fourth individual, 23-year-old Angel Richardson, remains at large and is wanted in several jurisdictions.
BRADENTON, Fla. – A sophisticated statewide theft ring unraveled in Bradenton after undercover detectives set up a Facebook Marketplace sting to catch suspects reselling stolen Home Depot rental equipment, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Florida retail theft ring
What we know:
The multi-county scheme collapsed after Manatee County sheriff’s detectives spotted stolen commercial equipment listed for sale online.
Undercover investigators arranged to buy an 18-inch trencher and set up a meeting point. When the suspects arrived, deputies confirmed the machinery had been rented just minutes prior from a nearby Home Depot on State Road 64 using fake identification. …