7 jailed for $800K Home Depot smoke detector thefts in Florida — including Miami-Dade
Seven people are locked up for running a theft ring that included pilfering more than $800,000 in smoke detectors from Home Depot stores across Florida — including Miami-Dade, according to Attorney General James Uthmeier.
The investigation, led by multiple agencies including the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement, tied the group to 44 thefts across 17 counties. Uthmeier said officers seized $78,000 in stolen goods from a Hillsborough County storage unit believed to be part of the trafficking route.
Another $300,000 in stolen merchandise was later found in a Houston warehouse by local police, law enforcement officials added in a press release Tuesday.
Official say the thefts hit Home Depot locations in Pasco, Polk, Highlands, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Orange, St. Lucie, Brevard, Lee, Manatee, Flagler, Sarasota, Seminole, Duval, St. Johns, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.
“This cross-agency collaboration not only brings criminals to justice, but also protects Florida businesses, retail team members and consumers, reinforcing our state’s reputation as the nation’s law-and-order state,” said Lorena Holley, vice president and general counsel of the Florida Retail Federation in the news release.
The following people are charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering, organized retail theft and dealing in stolen property:
- Willie Hendry Delmarta Marquis Harvin
- Earl Choyce Gordon II
- Charles McCloud J
- Eduardo Franco Viruet
- Dwight Rachard Mosby
- Eugene Rohala Oneal
- Hermis Brayan Martinez Sierra.
They have a total of 170 prior charges between them, per authorities.
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 5:41 PM.