Several arrested in statewide theft ring involving heavy-equipment rentals at Home Depot

Authorities said Thursday that four people were arrested and warrants have been issued for two others in a statewide theft operation in which suspects rented heavy equipment from The Home Depot and then sold it.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody joined Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Michael Giddens, an FDLE supervisor out of Orlando, to announce the arrests at a news conference Thursday morning at the Sheriff's Operations Center in Winter Haven.

They said the thefts took place in 16 counties across the state. Detectives with the PCSO organized retail crime division have been working with Moody’s office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to develop criminal charges against six suspects.

So far, four suspects have been arrested and warrants have been issued for two others, Judd said.

Home Depot’s organized retail crime investigators first alerted law enforcement in 2021 regarding unreturned rental equipment in central and southeast Florida. Home Depot investigators found a pattern of overdue large equipment rentals at Tampa and Orlando stores. They were one-day rentals by people from Orlando, and the GPS devices were disabled within hours of the equipment leaving the store, Judd said.

The stolen equipment was then posted on social media sales sites, such as Facebook marketplace.

The equipment thefts, involving Toro Dingo utility loaders, stump grinders, trenchers and mini-excavators as well as the trailers hauling the equipment, occurred at the retailer in areas covering 12 judicial circuits.

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The investigation revealed that 61 pieces of equipment and the trailers used for hauling the equipment were stolen, at a loss to Home Depot of $1.1 million – the price tag to buy new equipment, Judd said.

The six suspects have been charged in connection with 50 of the fraudulent rentals and thefts. The total value of the equipment and trailers was determined to be nearly $600,000.

Authorities said the thefts occurred in the counties of Brevard, Broward, Duval, Hernando, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Seminole, St. Johns and St. Lucie.

Judd said the statewide law enforcement effort led to solving the case.

“Organized retail crime is a serious problem in Florida," he said. “It drives up the cost of goods and we all suffer through higher prices.

“These brazen thieves made a living systematically stealing,” Judd said. “They made the mistake of stealing in Polk County — our detectives are among the best in the nation investigating organized retail theft.”

Moodysaid the suspects in this case had an elaborate scheme to steal the equipment.

“They thought they were being clever by using stolen identities and smashing the GPS trackers on the equipment, but it wasn’t enough to outsmart Sheriff Judd’s deputies, FDLE and my statewide prosecutors,” she said.

Special agents with FDLE’s Orlando Regional Operations Center and its analysts worked to recover a portion of the stolen property.

According to Judd, the main suspect, Byron Paul Johnson, 36, of Orlando, completed a one-day rental form for a Toro Dingo using his Florida driver’s license. Johnson, who is currently in prison in a separate case, faces felony charges of grand theft over $100,000, a scheme to defraud, nine counts of dealing in stolen property and unlawful possession of personal identification.

Johnson was tied to several of the thefts via video surveillance, social media messages, and text messages, Judd said. He often used his own identification when completing the rental agreements and his own Facebook page to post the equipment for sale.

Johnson told the unsuspecting buyers that he was a “construction worker going out of business,” or “my father passed away and I need money,” Judd said.

His co-defendants often used identification stolen during vehicle burglaries or from victims of identity theft, Judd said. Investigators saw several of the co-defendants with Johnson in store surveillance video filling out the rental forms.

Still at large is Johnson's girlfriend, Natasha Anderson, 28, of Orlando, who faces charges of grand theft over $20,000, scheme to defraud and dealing in stolen property. She and Johnson were both issued warrants by Polk County.

Michael Tyrone White, 33, of Orlando was arrested March 31 and is in the Orange County jail facing charges of grand theft over $20,000, scheme to defraud and dealing in stolen property.

Marquiel De’Shai Joseph, 31, of Orlando was arrested Feb. 20 on Orange County charges and remains in Orange County jail to face charges of grand theft and scheme to defraud.

The owner of Smiley’s Heavy Equipment Services LLC, Ivan Flores Ramirez, 36, of Bradenton was arrested in Manatee County on March 31 and bonded out April 3. He was charged with dealing in stolen property,

Dwight Williams, 35, of Orlando was issued a Polk County warrant on charges of grand theft over $10,000 and scheme to defraud.

Judd said anyone who realizes they may have unknowingly purchased stolen equipment in connection with this case, can turn it in without consequences at this time, but cannot continue to use it without getting in trouble.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk sheriff, Florida AG announce arrests in Home Depot theft ring