LAKELAND, Fla. – Eleven individuals have been arrested in Lakeland following an investigation that began with a burglary at the home of an active-duty U.S. Air Force service member stationed in North Dakota. The investigation uncovered a sprawling operation involving theft, drug possession, and environmental crimes.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) was alerted on March 16, 2025, by the 38-year-old victim, who noticed a significant spike in his electricity bill. Upon deputies’ arrival at the vacant property, they found Brindy Matos, 39, living in a shed and tampering with the meter box. Inside the shed were stolen items belonging to the victim, as well as drugs and paraphernalia. An unidentified male, later identified as Anthony Maddox, Jr., 31, fled the scene.
A search of the property, which was secured by a fence and locked gate, revealed that the house and other buildings had been broken into. The victim’s mother’s car, a 2007 Toyota Cruiser, was missing, along with his John Deere riding lawn mower and golf cart.
The investigation led deputies to a nearby property plagued by environmental and health hazards. The property was littered with trash, scrap metal, leaking oil barrels, and raw sewage…