How Florida Man’s Home Depot Theft Ring Cost Home Depot $1.4 Million
From time to time, we like to keep you updated on various Florida Man stories – like this one from back in August where a former pastor was part of a retail-theft ring that allegedly stole more than $1.4 million in merchandise from Home Depot and then sold it online.
FLORIDA MAN STRIKES AGAIN!
DATELINE – Pinellas County and the Saga of Robert Dell. Now, if that name sounds familiar, that’s because back on August 17, we told you that Dell had been arrested in part of a multimillion dollar theft ring that included his wife and Dear Old Mom.
Well, we’ve got an update for you.
He he’s now been charged in connection with that retail theft ring. Dell charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and dealing in stolen property.
Prosecutors say Dell worked with four others, including Dear Old Mom and his wife. They were also, by the way, charged in connection to the case.
Dell, he pleaded not guilty. The private attorney representing him declined to comment on the case as it is still ongoing. I think that’s a metaphor for “I have no idea how to defend this guy.”
The Rock Church posted a statement about Dell on its website back in August, a few days after the arrest that stated, “Just to clear the record, Robert Dell is NOT the pastor of The Rock Church. He wasn’t the founding pastor either. He was the pastor when it was named the Rock Community Church and Transformation Center and hasn’t been a pastor for two and a half years.”
So this seems to be what was going on. Home Depot was working with law enforcement to track Dell, who prosecutors described as a fence. He was the middleman, collecting stolen goods and then reselling them.
So the investigation went on for a while. Home Depot loss prevention investigators saw two people leaving a Florida store back in March with two cordless impact wrenches and cordless die grinders without paying for them. The investigators then provided vehicle information on the suspects to law enforcement.
So it appears they weren’t too anxious to get that material back, probably because they figured something bigger is going on.
While Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Department people kept an eye on them over the next two months, saw them visit stores in seven counties. They would then drop off the goods in a garage later identified as belonging to Dell.
So those two people were arrested back in June, and one of them told law enforcement she had been working for Dell for five years and at one point was making up to $10,000 a day working for him!
So we’ll wait to see what happens with the case, if he’s convicted or not, and how long he’s in jail.
But what I really want to see is what happens to Dear Old Mom in this whole thing.
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