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Florida smash-and-grab burglary ring busted
FOX 13's Evan Axelbank explains how investigators were able to track down six people who they say were targeting hundreds of vehicles across Florida and stealing people's valuables.
TAMPA, Fla. - Six members of an organized crime ring were taken down in Florida, according to the state’s attorney general.
The backstory:
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier held a press conference in Tampa on Wednesday morning to announce their arrests.
"This example is another example of what happens when people are released over and over again," Uthmeier stated.
He added that many of the six arrested have a laundry list of prior convictions.
"It shows that when we are soft on crime," Uthmeier explained. "When we are lenient and let people out, they often re-offend, and they hurt others."
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Uthmeier said the crime network is responsible for more than 200 break-ins across the state.
Clearwater Police Department Major Michael Hasty said the suspects, who are a part of the Felony Lane Gang, targeted parking lots of shopping malls, sports complexes.
He explained that they would smash the windows and take credit cards.
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Florida's AG announces crime ring arrests
Florida's Attorney General James Uthmeier was in Tampa on Wednesday to announce the arrests of six people who are linked to an organized crime ring.
"They target people who leave their purses and bags and wallets in your car," Stephanie Bergen, special counsel for the office of statewide prosecution said. "So, the best way to avoid that is to not do it."
It wasn’t just personal property that was stolen.
According to Uthmeier, personal identification was also taken and used in fraudulent behavior to further steal and commit financial theft.
He noted that 55 of the victims in this case were senior citizens.
"People who want to target them and prey on them are going to have a major problem with me," Uthemier shared.
Dig deeper:
Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVey joined the attorney general at the press conference and said this is the type of case that having a statewide prosecutor can help, because when the suspects travel around they can often be in different jurisdictions.
"Offenders are evolving to try to disguise their crimes by moving outside of their jurisdictions where they live and committing crimes elsewhere, doing them quickly and returning home," Clearwater Police Department Major Michael Hasty explained.
He noted that years ago that tactic may have confounded law enforcement, but that is no longer the case.
What they're saying:
"They’re dedicated to try to conceal their identities, but they didn’t count on two things – They didn’t count on the dedication of these detectives who were equal to the task to figure out who they were, to identify over 200 crimes committed by this group, totally around half a million dollars’ worth of loss," Hasty said. "They also didn’t count on the fact that law enforcement is also evolving, and what you’re seeing more at local, state and national levels, is agencies working together. No longer are these criminal activities isolated to our own backyards. They crossed jurisdictions, and in this case, these detectives each had individual pieces of the puzzle and when they got together, they were able to create a picture."
The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Florida Attorney General's office.