| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED By: MCINTYRE, JAMES 0128 (AR2012-308) did unlawfully traffic in or endeavor to traffic in property that HE knew or should have known was stolen, to-wit: JEWELRY, the property of THE VICTIM, in violation of Florida Statute 812.019(1); (AND) KNOWINGLY GAVE FALSE VERIFICATION OF OWNERSHIP OF JEWELRY AND THE DEFENDANT GAVE A FALSE OR ALTERED IDENTIFICATION AND WHO RECEIVED MONEY IN THE AMOUNT OF $800.00 FROM GOLD DIGGERS AND GUNSLINGERS PAWNBROKER, AND $360.00 FROM AMERICAN TRADING POST PAWN PAWNBROKERS FOR JEWELRY, AND THAT MONEY RECEIVED BEING MORE THAN $300.00, IN VIOLATION OF: FSS 539.001(8)(B)(8)(B) (AND) KNOWINGLY GAVE FALSE VERIFICATION OF OWNERSHIP OF JEWELRY AND THE DEFENDANT GAVE A FALSE OR ALTERED IDENTIFICATION AND WHO RECEIVED MONEY IN THE AMOUNT OF $120.00 FROM WHALEN JEWELERS, AND $40.00 FROM HUNTERâS HIDEOUT PAWNBROKER, AND THAT MONEY RECEIVED BEING LESS THAN $300.00, IN VIOLATION OF: FSS 539.001(8)(B)(8)(A) ON 022412, A GRAND THEFT WAS REPORTED BY THE VICTIM, MS BRIDGET IMPARATO, AT 5490 WEST BUCKSKIN DRIVE IN BEVERLY HILLS, FLORIDA. THE REPORT INDICATES THAT ON 022312, THE VICTIM WAS HAVING TILE WORK DONE IN A BATHROOM OF HER RESIDENCE BY SUBJECT STEVEN MINNELLA. MR MINNELLA DOES NOT HAVE A CAR OR VALID DRIVERâS LICENSE, AND WAS BROUGHT TO THE VICTIMâS RESIDENCE BY DEFENDANT, MR KENNETH HOFFEDITZ. THE VICTIM DISCOVERED HER JEWELRY BOX WAS MISSING ON 022412, AND NOTIFIED THE CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFFâS OFFICE OF THE THEFT. ON 022512, THE VICTIM WENT LOOKING FOR HER JEWELRY AT LOCAL PAWN SHOPS AND LOCAL JEWELRY STORES. WHEN SHE ENTERED GOLD DIGGERS AND GUN SLINGERS OF INVERNESS, FLORIDA AND PROVIDED A DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE MISSING JEWELRY, SHE WAS ADVISED THEY DID HAVE TWO BRACELETS OF HERS THAT HAD BEEN SOLD TO THEM BY THE DEFENDANT AND STEVEN MINNELLA. BOTH BRACELETS WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE VICTIM AS HERS. A PAWN CHECK OF LOCAL PAWN SHOPS AND SECOND HAND DEALERS WAS DONE AND FOUR TRANSACTIONS WERE DISCOVERED IN THE NAME OF THE DEFENDANT, MR KENNETH HOFFEDITZ. ON 030512, THIS DETECTIVE AND THE VICTIM RESPONDED TO THE FOUR TRANSACTION LOCATIONS. THE VICTIM IDENTIFIED JEWELRY AT ALL FOUR LOCATIONS THAT BELONGS TO HER. ON 031312, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE DEFENDANT, KENNETH PAUL HOFFEDITZ AT HIS RESIDENCE AT 327 NORTH FLORIDA AVENUE, APARTMENT 49, INVERNESS, FLORIDA (MOSSY OAK TRAILER PARK). THE DEFENDANT WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST, HANDCUFFED, DOUBLE LOCKED, AND TRANSPORTED BY UNIFORMED PATROL TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY. UPON MY ARRIVAL AT THE DETENTION FACILITY CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE DEFENDANT IN THE BOOKING AREA. WE RELOCATED TO AN INTERVIEW ROOM WITHIN THE FACILITY. DURING A POST MIRANDA DIGITALLY RECORDED STATEMENT, THE DEFENDANT, KENNETH PAUL HOFFEDITZ, CONFESSED TO HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THIS INCIDENT WITH SPECIFIC DETAILS OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED, IMPLICATING STEVEN MINNELLA IN THE THEFT. THE DEFENDANT ADVISED THAT HE WAS CONTACTED BY STEVEN MINNELLA AND ADVISED OF A JEWELRY BOX HIDDEN IN A WALL AT THE VICTIMâS RESIDENCE. STEVEN MINNELLA ADVISED THAT THE VICTIM OWED HIM MONEY FOR WORK HE HAD COMPLETED AND WAS GOING TO TAKE HER JEWELRY BOX. THE DEFENDANT ADVISED THAT HE DROVE STEVEN MINNELLA TO THE VICTIMâS RESIDENCE WHERE THEY STAYED FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS. STEVEN MINNELLA REMOVED THE JEWELRY BOX FROM THE VICTIMâS RESIDENCE WHEN HIS WORK WAS COMPLETE AND HE WAS TAKING HIS TOOLS TO THE VEHICLE. THE DEFENDANT ADVISED THE JEWELRY WAS REMOVED FROM THE JEWELRY BOX AND THE JEWELRY BOX WAS THROWN OUT THE WINDOW OF THE MOVING VEHICLE, SOMEWHERE ON PINE RIDGE BOULEVARD. THEY DROVE STRAIGHT TO GOLD DIGGERS AND GUNSLINGERS IN INVERNESS WHERE THEY SOLD TWO BRACELETS FOR $800.00. STEVEN MINNELLA WAS PRESENT AND NEGOTIATED THE PRICE WITH THE WORKER AT THE SHOP FROM $720.00 TO $800.00. WHEN THAT TRANSACTION WAS COMPLETE THEY WENT TO WHALENâS JEWELERS IN INVERNESS, WHERE THEY SOLD MORE OF THE VICTIMâS JEWELRY. THE DEFENDANT ADVISED THERE WERE FOUR SEPARATE TRANSACTIONS WHICH WERE COMPLETED AT FOUR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS IN CITRUS COUNTY. ALL FOUR TRANSACTIONS WERE COMPLETED BY THE DEFENDANT WHO RECEIVED $320.00 FROM STEVEN MINNELLA FOR COMPLETING THE TRANSACTIONS FOR HIM. THE DEFENDANT ADVISED HE HAD KNOWLEDGE THAT THE JEWELRY HE SOLD IN THE FOUR TRANSACTIONS WAS STOLEN FROM THE VICTIMâS RESIDENCE. THE DEFENDANT, KENNETH PAUL HOFFEDITZ WAS CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF DEALING IN STOLEN PROPERTY AND FOUR COUNTS OF FALSE INFORMATION TO A PAWN BROKER. DUE TO THE DEFENDANTâS MINOR CRIMINAL HISTORY, AND DUE TO HIS FAMILY ENTERING HIM INTO A DRUG REHAB PROGRAM AT THE CENTERS IN OCALA, AND DUE TO HIS COOPERATION IN THIS CASE, HE WAS RELEASED ON HIS OWN RECOGNIZANCE. |
