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Florida felons caught on camera swiping nearly $600 of tequila: CCSO

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Published  May 9, 2025 3:34pm EDT
Florida
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • A pair of convicted felons have been arrested after deputies say they were caught on camera stealing hundreds of dollars worth of tequila from a Costco in Southwest Florida.
    • Courtney Gerell Bryant, 28, and Nikita Lynn Hicks, 40, both of Miami, were arrested on Tuesday.
    • Detectives say more charges are expected to follow as they investigate whether the pair is tied to similar thefts in Collier County.

NAPLES, Fla. - Two convicted Florida felons believed to be connected to a string of retail thefts were busted after deputies say a tequila heist was caught on camera. 

The backstory:

On May 1, two suspects, later identified as Courtney Gerell Bryant, 28, and Nikita Lynn Hicks, 40, both of Miami, were seen on surveillance video concealing eight bottles of Don Julio and Silver Patron tequila valued at $547.92 at a Costco store on Naples Boulevard, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say the pair took off in a Chevy Malibu. 

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On Tuesday, around 7 p.m., deputies conducted a traffic stop on a silver Malibu in the 2500 block of Pine Ridge Road. They said the driver, Hicks, had an active warrant from Polk County. Her passenger, Bryant, was wearing the same clothes seen in the Costco footage. Both were taken into custody.

Courtney Bryant and Nikita Hicks mugshots courtesy of the Collier County Sheriff's Office.

Courtney Bryant and Nikita Hicks mugshots courtesy of the Collier County Sheriff's Office. 

Dig deeper:

Hicks was charged with the Polk warrant, felony petty theft for the Costco theft and a traffic-related offense that lead to the traffic stop. Bryant was charged with violation of state probation and felony petty theft for the Costco theft. 

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Inside the vehicle, detectives recovered a lot of suspected stolen merchandise, including liquor, personal hygiene products and clothing -- many with anti-theft devices still attached. Some of the devices were wrapped in tin foil in an apparent attempt to defeat store sensors.

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Courtesy: Collier County Sheriff's Office

What's next:

Detectives say more charges are expected to follow as they investigate whether the pair is tied to similar thefts in Collier County.

Hicks and Bryant are also suspected in multiple retail thefts throughout Southwest Florida.

What they're saying:

In a post on social media, the sheriff’s office wrote, "Sheriff Kevin Rambosk had this message for criminals who travel to Collier County to commit crimes: ‘We will find you and arrest you. Your crime spree will come to an end.’"

The Source: This story was written with information posted by the Collier County Sheriff's Office. 

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