Traffic Stop Reveals Several Stolen Items
On Friday, July 10, at approximately 6 p.m., members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Highway Interdiction Unit conducted a traffic stop near Mile Marker 140 on I-75, Lee County on a Silver 2009 Dodge vehicle for the following violations:
-Illegal window tint
-Broken left brake light
-Incorrect license plate attached to the vehicle
Upon making contact with the driver of the vehicle, deputies noticed several large duffel bags in the rear cargo area of the vehicle, as well as other indicators of suspicious activity coming from both the driver and the passengers. Further investigation revealed the suspect vehicle to be a rental car. Upon receiving permission from the driver, deputies conducted a search f the vehicle.
The search of the vehicle revealed two large duffel bags with clothing and shoes inside that had price tags and security tags still attached. Also located were five smaller bags filled with clothing, three purses filled with clothing and merchandise, and other items that may be used during the act of committing a crime.
Investigators also located a receipt in one pair of recovered clothing that showed it had been purchased from a Gap store, located in St. Petersburg. They contacted the store manager who provided information relating to a recent shoplifting incident. The store manager provided investigators with descriptions of the suspects involved in the incident, as well as the merchandise that had been stolen from the store. The descriptions provided to deputies matched each individual in the car as well as the merchandise recovered in the vehicle cargo area.
Approximately four-thousand dollars in clothing and merchandise was recovered from the vehicle. Based on the information, investigators were able to determine a theft had taken place. All occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody and charged with Possession of an Anti-Theft Device. The incident remains under investigation. Additional charges are pending at this time.
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