| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: LAUGHLIN, JEREMY 0617 (AR15-13979) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN, USE OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, TO-WIT: BRASS BAR RAILING, STAINLESS STEEL POTS AND PANS, AND COOKING EQUIPMENT, OF THE VALUE OF THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($300.00) OR MORE, BUT LESS THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($5,000.00), WITH THE INTENT TO EITHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE THE VICTIM OF A RIGHT TO THE PROPERTY OR A BENEFIT THEREOF, OR DID APPROPRIATE THE SAID PROPERTY TO HIS OWN USE OR THE USE OF ANY PERSON NOT ENTITLED THERETO, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATUTE 812.014(2)(C)(1). BOND AMOUNT $2,000.00. did unlawfully traffic in or endeavor to traffic in property that THE DEFENDANT knew or should have known was stolen, to-wit: BRASS BAR RAILING, STAINLESS STEEL POTS AND PANS, AND COOKING EQUIPMENT, the property of THE VICTIM), in violation of Florida Statute 812.019(1). BOND AMOUNT $5,000.00. KNOWINGLY GAVE FALSE VERIFICATION OF OWNERSHIP OF A BRASS BAR RAILING, STAINLESS STEEL POTS AND PANS, AND COOKING EQUIPMENT AND THE DEFENDANT GAVE A FALSE OR ALTERED IDENTIFICATION AND WHO RECEIVED MONEY IN THE AMOUNT OF $62.72, $4.90 AND $3.85, FROM THE INTER COUNTY RECYCLING FOR BRASS BAR RAILING, STAINLESS STEEL POTS AND PANS, AND COOKING EQUIPMENT, VALUED AT LESS THAN $300.00, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 539.001. BOND AMOUNT $5,000.00. ON 021415 THE VICTIM REPORTED A BURGLARY, TO HIS CLOSED BUSINESS, SLEEPY HOLLOW, LOCATED AT 10333 EAST GOBBLER DRIVE, IN FLORAL CITY. THE VICTIM ADVISED THAT THE BAR AND SHEDS ON THE PROPERTY HAD BEEN BROKEN INTO SEVERAL TIMES, IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. THE VICTIM ADVISED NUMEROUS ITEMS HAD BEEN TAKEN TO INCLUDE RESTAURANT EQUIPMENT, BAR SIGNS, PATIO UMBRELLAS, BEER TAPS, MISCELLANEOUS TOOLS, ALONG WITH THE BRASS BAR RAILING THAT WAS TAKEN ON OR ABOUT 021315. THE VICTIM WAS MISSING WELDERS, PRESSURE WASHERS AND SINKS FROM THE RESTAURANT. ON 021915, THIS DETECTIVE WAS ADVISED OF A FINGERPRINT, WHICH HAD BEEN LOCATED AT THE CRIME SCENE. IT CAME BACK TO CO-DEFENDANT, MR JOSHUA PHILLIPS. THE FINGERPRINT WAS INSIDE OF THE PREVIOUSLY LOCKED SHED, WHICH HAD THE MAJORITY OF THE STOLEN PROPERTY TAKEN FROM THE VICTIM. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE VICTIM, AT THAT TIME, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT HE HAD NOT KNOWN THE CO-DEFENDANT AND HE HAD NEVER BEEN EMPLOYED AT THE VICTIM'S BUSINESS; THEREFORE, HIS PRINTS SHOULD HOT HAVE BEEN LOCATED INSIDE THE SHED. I RESPONDED TO 5950 HICKORY DRIVE, TO MAKE CONTACT WITH CO-DEFENDANT PHILLIPS. UPON DOING SO, THIS DETECTIVE LOCATED CO-DEFENDANT PHILLIPS, ALONG WITH A LARGE QUANTITY OF the VICTIM'S STOLEN PROPERTY, AT THE RESIDENCE. THIS DETECTIVE ASKED CO-DEFENDANT PHILLIPS ABOUT THE STOLEN PROPERTY; HOWEVER, HE COULD NOT ADVISE ANY INFORMATION. WHILE ON SCENE WITH CO-DEFENDANT PHILLIPS, HE ADVISED THAT HIS MOTHER, MS DOROTHY MARIE RICH (DEFENDANT THREE) AND STEPFATHER, MR LAWRENCE RICH (DEFENDANT TWO), LIVED AT THE RESIDENCE WITH HIM AND THEY WERE CURRENTLY AT THE SCRAP YARD. UPON THE ARRIVAL OF MS RICH AND MR RICH AT THE HOME, THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE STOLEN PROPERTY. THEY ADVISED THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE OR INVOLVEMENT IN THE BURGLARIES TO SLEEPY HOLLOW. ON 022015, THIS DETECTIVE RAN CO-DEFENDANT PHILLIPS' MOTHER AND STEPFATHER, FOR POSSIBLE SCRAP TRANSACTIONS THAT MIGHT CONTAIN THE VICTIM'S PROPERTY. THIS DETECTIVE RESPONDED TO INTER COUNTY RECYCLING, LOCATED IN LECANTO. I DISCOVERED SEVERAL TRANSACTIONS BY MR RICH AND A TRANSACTION BY MS RICH, WHICH MATCHED THE VICTIM'S PROPERTY. THESE TRANSACTIONS WERE PRINTED WITH PICTURES OF THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION, AT WHICH TIME, I RESPONDED to the VICTIM'S HOME. THE VICTIM IDENTIFIED TRANSACTIONS: NUMBER 0246454 ON 122714 AT 1232 HOURS, IN WHICH MR RICH SCRAPPED SEVERAL ITEMS OF THE VICTIM'S, TO INCLUDE STAINLESS STEEL POTS AND PANS, REFERENCE IMAGE NUMBER 1237685. NUMBER 0249664 ON 020915 AT 1403 HOURS, IN WHICH A STAINLESS STEEL RACK, REFERENCE IMAGE NUMBER 1272379. NUMBER 0249938 ON 021315 AT 1228 HOURS, IN WHICH 56 POUNDS OF BRASS BAR RAILING, REFERENCE IMAGE NUMBER 1275333. THIS TRANSACTION WAS COMPLETED ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE VICTIM REPORTING THE BRASS BAR RAILING STOLEN FROM HIS BUSINESS. THESE TRANSACTION WERE COMPLETED BY MR LAWRENCE RICH, SHOWING HIS FLORIDA DRIVER'S LICENSE, PROVIDING HIS RIGHT THUMB PRINT AND SIGNING THE TRANSACTION FORM. COPIES OF THESE TRANSACTION WERE COLLECTED AND TURNED OVER TO CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE EVIDENCE. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH MR LAWRENCE RICH, I QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT THE TRANSACTIONS. MR RICH ADVISED THAT THE ITEMS HAD BEEN GIVEN TO HIM BY THE CLOSING CHINESE RESTAURANT, LOCATED IN INVERNESS. ON 022315, I RESPONDED TO LIN GARDEN BUFFET, WHERE I MADE CONTACT WITH THE MANAGER AND HER HUSBAND, ALONG WITH ANOTHER EMPLOYEE. THEY ADVISED THAT THEY HAD NOT GIVEN MR LAWRENCE RICH, THE ITEMS IN QUESTION AND THAT MR RICH HAD ONLY RECEIVED AN OLD DISHWASHER FROM THEM. I MADE CONTACT AGAIN WITH MR RICH, IN THE PARKING LOT AND PLACED HIM UNDER ARREST FOR GRAND THEFT, DEALING IN STOLEN PROPERTY AND FALSE INFORMATION TO A SECOND HAND DEALER/METAL RECYCLER. HE WAS LATER TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY, FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. THE DEFENDANT'S TOTAL BOND WAS SET AT $12,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. |
