| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: MCEWEN, ANDREW 0424 (AR11119023) THE DEFENDANT DID KNOWINGLY COMMIT A SCHEME TO DEFRAUD, IN WHICH SHE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC, ONGOING COURSE OF CONDUCT WITH INTENT TO DEFRAUD ONE OR MORE PERSONS, OR WITH INTENT TO OBTAIN PROPERTY FROM ONE OR MORE PERSONS BY FALSE OR FRAUDULENT PRETENSES, REPRESENTATIONS OR PROMISES OR WILLFUL MISREPRESENTATIONS OF A FUTURE ACT, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE NUMBER 817.034(4)(A)(3). ON 010511, I WAS CONTACTED BY MS CLARA SMITH, WHO WANTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT IN REFERENCE TO THEFT OF GIFT CARDS THAT SHE SENT VIA MAIL TO ILLINOIS. MS SMITH MAILED A PACKAGE ON 122110 BY USING THE US POST OFFICE IN HOMOSASSA SPRINGS, FLORIDA. MS SMITH SAID the PACKAGE CONTAINED TWO GIFT CARDS, WHICH SHE LATER DISCOVERED THE CARDS HAD BEEN SPENT and one OF WHICH WAS SPENT AT THE WAL-MART LOCATED IN INVERNESS, FLORIDA ON 122210. THE OTHER CARD WAS SPENT; HOWEVER, THE LOCATION IS UNKNOWN. THE VICTIM PROVIDED A COPY OF HER MAIL RECEIPT PROVING SHE MAILED THE PACKAGE AND HER SALES RECEIPT PROVING SHE PURCHASED THE GIFT CARDS. THE MAIL RECEIPT SHOWED THAT OPERATOR NUMBER TWO DID THE TRANSACTION. ON 012011, I WAS CONTACTED BY MR CHARLES PERRY AND MS SHARON ELEY, WHO REPORTED THEFT OF A WATCH THAT THEY HAD PURCHASED. THEY HAD PURCHASED A ROLEX WATCH VIA MAIL FROM JEWELS AND GOLD IN HOMOSASSA, FLORID FOR $4,000 (WATCH WAS APPRAISED AT $9,000). THEY SENT the CHECK ON 121010 AND THE WATCH WAS MAILED ON 121410 BY the OWNER OF the JEWELRY STORE, MR JOE DAWSON, BY USING THE US POST OFFICER SERVICE IN HOMOSASSA, FLORIDA. THE PACKAGE NEVER MADE IT TO ITS DESTINATION. MR PERRY and MS ELEY PROVIDED A COPY OF THE RECEIPT THAT THE PACKAGE WAS SENT OUT AND ALSO A SALES RECEIPT OF THE WATCH AND INSURANCE RECEIPT, BECAUSE MR DAWSON INSURED THE WATCH FOR $4,000.00. THE MAIL RECEIPT SHOWED THAT OPERATOR NUMBER TWO DID THE TRANSACTION. CONTACT WAS MADE WITH the OWNER OF JEWELS AND GOLD, MR DAWSON, WHO CONFIRMED HE DID IN FACT SEND OUT THE WATCH. THE MAIL RECEIPT SHOWED THAT OPERATOR NUMBER TWO DID THE TRANSACTION. ON 012111, I WAS CONTACTED BY MR DALE RUPERT, WHO REPORTED THEFT OF GIFT CARDS, WHICH WERE $400.00 IN VALUE THAT HE HAD MAILED OUT TO NEW YORK ON 122010 BY USING the US POST OFFICE IN HOMOSASSA, SPRINGS, FLORIDA. THE VICTIM PROVIDED A COPY OF his MAIL RECEIPT which SHOWED THAT OPERATOR NUMBER TWO DID THE TRANSACTION AND A COPY OF HIS SALES RECEIPT OF WHEN HE PURCHASED THE GIFT CARDS. THE PACKAGE WITH the GIFT CARDS NEVER REACHED ITS DESTINATION. OPERATOR NUMBER TWO IS IDENTIFIED AS THE DEFENDANT RUTH RIGGEAL. CONTACT WAS MADE with SPECIAL AGENT ALLAN HUDSON WITH the OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, WHO ADVISED HE HAD VIDEO OF THE DEFENDANT CONCEALING THE PACKAGES in the TRASH CAN NEAR HER WORK STATION. I DID REVIEW THE SAID VIDEO, WHICH SHOWED THE DEFENDANT RECEIVE the SAID PACKAGES THEN PLACING theM ON THE SHELF NEXT TO HER. AND THEN EVENTUALLY PLACE THE ITEMS in the TRASH CAN NEXT TO HER AND LATER REMOVE the PACKAGES FROM THE TRASH. ON the VIDEO FROM MR RUPERT'S MAIL THE RECORDING HAD STOPPED DUE TO A TIMING DEVICE. ON 012711, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE DEFENDANT IN REFERENCE TO THIS CASE AT HER PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. WITH SPECIAL AGENT HUDSON PRESENT A TAPED INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE DEFENDANT. THE DEFENDANT WAS READ HER MIRANDA WARNING IN WHICH SHE AGREED TO SPEAK TO ME. I ASKED THE DEFENDANT ABOUT ALL THREE CASES IN WHICH SHE DID ADMIT TO STEALING THE SAID ITEMS. SHE ALSO ADMITTED TO TAKING SOME PERFUME THAT HAD NOT BEEN REPORTED. THE DEFENDANT GAVE the GIFT CARDS THAT BELONGED TO MS SMITH TO HER DAUGHTER'S BOYFRIEND AND THAT HER DAUGHTER'S BOYFRIEND HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WERE STOLEN. THE DEFENDANT ADVISED THAT she STILL HAD the ROLEX WATCH IN HER ATTIC AT HER RESIDENCE IN BEVERLY HILLS, FLORIDA. SHE ADVISED she WAS GOING TO WAIT A YEAR OR SO UNTIL THE THEFT INVESTIGATION DIED DOWN and THEN SELL IT ON EBAY. SHE ADVISED THAT she STILL HAD GIFT CARDS FROM MR RUPERT'S MAIL AT HER FATHER'S RESIDENCE ALSO IN BEVERLY HILLS, FLORIDA. SHE DID HAVE IN HER PURSE THREE GIFT CARDS, ONE OF WHICH WAS CONFIRMED TO BE RUPERT'S REPORTED CARD. THE DEFENDANT DID ALSO STATE THAT she DID TAKE FUNDS FROM THE POST OFFICE in the AMOUNT OF BETWEEN $500 AND $1,000. WITH the DEFENDANT PRESENT, SHE WAS TRANSPORTED TO HER RESIDENCE IN BEVERLY HILLS AND A WATCH THAT HAD JEWELS AND GOLD PAPERWORK INSIDE THE BOX WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ATTIC. SEVERAL GIFT CARDS WAS ALSO RECOVERED IN REGARDS TO THIS CASE. THESE ITEMS WERE TAKEN INTO EVIDENCE. THE DEFENDANT WAS TRANSPORTED THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESS AND BOND SET AT $5000 PER THE BOND schedule. "If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at the Office of the Trial Court Administrator, Citrus County Courthouse, 110 North Apopka Avenue, Inverness, Florida 34450, Telephone (352) 341-6700, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.” *NOT-EXEMPT* |
