TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Byron Johnson, the leader of an organized retail theft ring that caused significant losses to Home Depot stores across 15 counties, has been sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay over $500,000 in restitution. The sentence was secured by Attorney General Ashley Moody's Office of Statewide Prosecution (OSP).
"This ringleader's organized theft operation spanned 15 counties in the state, causing losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars to Home Depot stores," said Attorney General Ashley Moody. "Thanks to our Statewide Prosecutors, this criminal will now serve nearly a decade in prison and pay more than $500,000 in restitution."
Earlier this year, OSP, in collaboration with the Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, successfully dismantled Johnson's massive organized retail theft ring. The investigation revealed that Johnson and four other defendants targeted Home Depot stores, rented heavy equipment, and disabled the GPS trackers in order to resell the stolen items online. A total of 44 suspected thefts were identified during the course of the investigation.
To further their scheme, the defendants used stolen identifications and deceived unsuspecting individuals into renting the equipment on their behalf. The stolen items were primarily sold on Facebook Marketplace.
Johnson faced multiple charges, including grand theft, scheme to defraud, dealing in stolen property, and unlawful possession of another person's personal identification information. As a result of the prosecution, Johnson will serve eight years in prison, followed by five years of probation, and is required to pay $539,360 in restitution.
Four other defendants involved in the theft ring have also been charged with varying degrees of grand theft, and their cases are currently pending.
The successful prosecution of Johnson and the ongoing pursuit of justice against his accomplices demonstrate the commitment of Attorney General Ashley Moody's Office of Statewide Prosecution to combat organized retail theft and protect businesses from such criminal activities.
Click this link to access more information: https://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrelease/ag-moodys-office-statewide-prosecution-secures-eight-year-sentence-and-500000