Orlando, Fla. — A 16-month long investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and FDLE results in the arrests of seven people accused of stealing diapers and baby formula.
According to a news release from the Polk Sheriff’s Office, grocery stores in 18 Florida counties including Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Volusia were robbed a total of $84,669.
The investigation began in August 2019 and found a pattern of theft at several Publix, Winn-Dixie and Walmart stores across the state.
The organized crime spree allegedly operated like this:
Five suspects, the Sheriff’s Office calls “boosters,” would enter different stores and place dozens of cans of baby formula into reusable shopping bags.
Sometimes, the “boosters” would conceal the cans with diapers on top.
On other occasions, Five Hour energy drinks would also be stolen.
The “boosters” would proceed to walk out of the grocery store and load the stolen goods into a rental car.
Each organized theft amounted to a sum between $350-$900 worth of stolen items, deputies said.
From there, the suspects would drive directly to two Tampa markets where they were given cash by three other suspects, who the Sheriff’s Office calls “fences.”
The “fences” then resold the stolen items from their stores, which were Ray’s Food Mart (509 West Columbus Drive, Tampa) and Ten Star Deli and Supermarket (1202 East MLK Jr Blvd, Tampa.)
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office provided specific examples of thefts committed by the “booster” suspects:
- Aug. 17, 2019: Rantevia Singleton and Beatrice Johnson, driving a rented Nissan, went into a Publix in Lutz, Florida, and filled their own reusable shopping bags with 11 cases of 5-hour energy shot drinks. They then asked a sales associate where the WIC-approved baby formula was located. They filled their reusable shopping bags with 24 cans of Enfamil baby formula, and placed a package of Pull-ups diapers on top. They left the store, passing all points of sale, with $551 worth of stolen items.
- Aug. 18, 2019: Adrian Givens and Beatrice Johnson, went into a Publix in New Port Richey, Florida, and loaded a shopping cart with 20 cans of Enfamil baby formula. They went into another aisle and put the formula into reusable shopping bags, then left the store, passing all points of sale. The value of the stolen items was $381.
- Aug. 18, 2019: Adrian Givens and Beatrice Johnson, went into a Publix in Trinity, Florida, and loaded a shopping cart with 19 cans of Enfamil baby formula. They went into another aisle and put the formula into reusable shopping bags, then left the store, passing all points of sale. The value of the stolen items was $371.
- The same day, Givens and Johnson went back into the same Publix in Trinity, FL, and began placing baby formula into reusable shopping bags. They were confronted by the store manager, at which time they ran out of the store with the bags, stealing $754 worth of formula.
- Aug. 20, 2019: Givens and Johnson went into a Publix in Tampa, Florida. While Johnson loaded her shopping cart with baby formula, Givens stopped at the Customer Service desk and distracted the clerk while Johnson pushed the cart with the stolen goods outside. They fled with $956 worth of formula.
- Aug. 21, 2019: The pair attempted to steal $792 worth of formula from a Publix in Riverview. When they realized they were being watched, they told the clerk they forgot their WIC card at home, so they left.
- Later that day, Givens and Johnson went into a Winn Dixie in Valrico, and stole a cart full of baby formula valued at $778. Then they went into another Winn Dixie store in Riverview and stole $443 worth of baby formula.
- Aug. 23, 2019: Rantevia Singleton went into a Publix in St. Petersburg and stole $717 worth of baby formula by placing it into reusable shopping bags and leaving the store.
- Aug. 23, 2019: Givens and Johnson stole 35 cans of baby formula from a Winn Dixie in Plant City, worth $636.
- Aug. 29, 2019: Rantevia Singleton stole 64 cans of baby formula and two packages of Huggies diapers, from a Walmart in Brandon. The total loss was $2,985.
The pattern of thefts continued throughout the year and into 2020, often occurring several times in one day or one day after another during the week.
Polk County Sheriff’s detectives also shared specific crimes by the “fences”:
- Feb. 5, 2020: Ahmed Hamdan, working at Ten Star Supermarket, went outside behind the store and together with Eshaud Suid, removed stolen product from the trunk of a car and put it into Suid’s car. Cash was exchanged with the driver of the first car, and the product was moved into the garage of Suid’s house in Lutz.
- Feb. 6, 2020: Hamdan and Suid removed a loaded garbage bag from a rental car at the Ten Star store.
- Feb. 12, 2020: Suid loaded black garbage bags from his Lutz home into his car, then drove to the Silver Dollar Food Store in Tampa. The bags were loaded into a van being driven by Abas Issa. Issa then went to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa for approximately one hour. When he left, he headed eastbound on I-4 and was observed swerving and unable to maintain a single lane. He was pulled over in Davenport by a PCSO deputy sheriff, and a search of his van revealed garbage bags filled with baby formula.
- Feb. 13, 2020: A Chevrolet Camaro occupied by three black females was backed into a spot next to Suid’s car behind Ten Star Supermarket. The women loaded black garbage bags filled with product into Suid’s car, then went inside the store.
According to the news release, PCSO detectives have been working with FDLE and the state Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution to develop extensive evidence and documentation in 18 different counties.
The Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is prosecuting the case.
“When crime rings, like this one, steal from retailers, they are essentially stealing from all Floridians,” said Ashley Moody, Attorney General.
The three “fences” that were arrested for reselling the stolen goods are as follows:
31-year-old Eshaud Suid - Conspiracy to commit racketeering and Racketeering Violation.
27-year-old Ahmed Hamdan - Conspiracy to commit racketeering.
53-year-old Abas Issa - Dealing in stolen property.
The three “boosters” that were arrested for stealing the items from the stores:
26-year-old Rantevia Singleton - Conspiracy to commit racketeering and 9 counts of grand theft.
25-year-old Adrian Givens - Conspiracy to commit racketeering, Racketeering Violation and Grand theft.
24-year-old Ashley Anderson - Conspiracy to commit racketeering.
25-year-old Andrea Mack - Conspiracy to commit racketeering and Grand theft.
WANTED: 29-year-old Beatrice Johnson - Conspiracy to commit racketeering, Racketeering Violation and Grand theft.
“This is an organized group of criminals working together to steal high-dollar items for their own personal profit, by stealing, and then selling the stolen goods on the black market,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
“Don’t steal in Polk County and don’t steal in Florida. If you do, and we catch you, you will go to jail and then prison. Organized retail theft is a big problem in Florida costing retailers and consumers millions of dollars.”
Cox Media Group
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