Florida Keys

Over 10,000 pounds of trash dumped in Florida Keys streets. Two men are to blame, cops say

Two Florida Keys men were charged with illegally dumping trash in two separate cases. Over 10,000 pounds of waste was cleaned up by the county.
Two Florida Keys men were charged with illegally dumping trash in two separate cases. Over 10,000 pounds of waste was cleaned up by the county. Monroe County Sheriff's Office

Over 10,000 pounds of trash were illegally dumped on the side of two Florida Keys streets, deputies said. In the last week, authorities arrested two men they say are responsible.

The two men, Benjamin Scott Holroyd and Robert Thomas Householder, separately illegally threw out garbage and are not connected. Both men were charged with felony illegal dumping and since bonded out of jail.

Two Florida Keys men were charged with illegally dumping trash in two separate cases. Over 10,000 pounds of waste was cleaned up by the county.
Two Florida Keys men were charged with illegally dumping trash in two separate cases. Over 10,000 pounds of waste was cleaned up by the county. Monroe County Sheriff's Office

Householder, 29, of Key West, was arrested Friday after Monroe County Sheriff’s Office detectives linked him to about 1,400 pounds of trash that was left on Front Street in Stock Island, deputies said.

The large pile of debris and trash included mattresses, furniture, a door and loose wood. The sheriff’s office said Householder admitted to leaving the garbage there.

Two Florida Keys men were charged with illegally dumping trash in two separate cases. Over 10,000 pounds of waste was cleaned up by the county.
Two Florida Keys men were charged with illegally dumping trash in two separate cases. Over 10,000 pounds of waste was cleaned up by the county. Monroe County Sheriff's Office

On Oct. 6, deputies arrested Holroyd, 65, of Big Pine Key, for leaving 10,380 pounds of trash on the side of 18th Lane in Big Pine Key, the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives spent the last month trying to find who was behind leaving the mass of garbage — which included tires, a vehicle frame, furniture and crates.

Two Florida Keys men were charged with illegally dumping trash in two separate cases. Over 10,000 pounds of waste was cleaned up by the county.
Two Florida Keys men were charged with illegally dumping trash in two separate cases. Over 10,000 pounds of waste was cleaned up by the county. Monroe County Sheriff's Office

Deputies say Holroyd admitted to being the first person to dump trash in the area.

Monroe County Solid Waste workers removed all the junk from both streets.

Devoun Cetoute
Miami Herald
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.
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