| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: GREATREX, ROBERT 0287 (AR13-8126) (CASE 13-159226) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN, USE OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, TO-WIT: LOTTERY SCRATCH OFF TICKETS, OF THE VALUE OF THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($300.00) OR MORE, BUT LESS THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($5,000.00), TO WIT: APPROXIMATELY $4,250.00 WORTH, WITH THE INTENT TO EITHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE THE VICTIM, B & W REXALL DRUGS, 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 STATUTES 812.014(2)C(1). did unlawfully traffic in or endeavor to traffic in property that HE knew or should have known was stolen, to-wit: BY REDEEMING MONEY FROM STOLEN SCRATCH OFF LOTTERY TICKETS, the property of B & W REXALL DRUG STORE, in violation of Florida Statute 812.019(1); ON 112013, WHILE DEPUTY FAHERTY WAS WORKING THE FRONT DESK OF THE SHERIFFâS OFFICE OPERATIONâS CENTER, THE VICTIM, MR KENNETH HEIMANN AND HIS OFFICE MANAGER, THE WITNESS, MS THERESA RUGGIERO, BOTH RESPONDED TO THE SHERIFFâS OFFICE TO REPORT THEFT OF LOTTERY TICKETS FROM THE VICTIMâS STORE; B & W REXALL DRUGS. THE WITNESS STATED THAT SHE WAS NOTIFIED BY CAPITAL CITY BANK THAT THEIR LOTTERY ACCOUNT HAD BEEN OVERDRAWN BY $6,000.00 AND THEY HAD BEGUN TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THAT 15 TICKETS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR ON 111913 AND THEY WERE WORTH $20.00 EACH. THE WITNESS ALSO ADVISED THAT SHE made CONTACT WITH THE LOTTERY COMMISSION AND AFTER PROVIDING THEM THE MISSING TICKET NUMBERS, THEY ADVISED HER WINNING TICKETS WERE REDEEMED AT the INVERNESS WINN DIXIE AT 333 HIGHLANDS AVENUE IN INVERNESS. THE VICTIM AND WITNESS STATED AT THAT TIME THEY RESPONDED TO THE WINN DIXIE AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE MANAGER AND HE WAS ABLE TO PULL THE STORE VIDEO SURVEILLANCE WHICH DID SHOW THE SUSPECT, MR THOMAS DORTON, CASHING IN ONE OF B & W REXALL DRUGS LOTTERY TICKETS. THE VICTIM AND WITNESS STATED THEY BOTH IDENTIFIED MR DORTON DUE TO HIM BEING THEIR STORE MANAGER. THIS VIDEO SURVEILLANCE WAS LATER COLLECTED AND SECURED BY THIS DETECTIVE AS EVIDENCE AND TURNED OVER TO SHERIFFâS OFFICE. AFTER DEPUTY FAHERTY TOOK THIS REPORT HE CONTACTED ME AND ADVISED ME OF THIS CASE AND I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE VICTIM AND WITNESS AT B & W REXALL DRUGS. THE WITNESS AND VICTIM EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE SUSPECT HAS BEEN EMPLOYED WITH B & W REXALL DRUGS FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS AND HE IS THE STORE MANAGER AND HAS ACCESS TO THE ENTIRE STORE. THE WITNESS, AT THAT TIME, SHOWED ME WHERE SHE HAS DOCUMENTATION OF $4,250.00 WORTH OF LOTTERY TICKETS THAT ARE MISSING. SHE DID STATE IT APPEARED THAT THERE IS POSSIBLY A TOTAL OF $25,000.00 IN TOTAL LOSS. WHILE SPEAKING TO THE VICTIM AND WITNESS THEY ADVISED THAT THE SUSPECT WAS STILL, AT THIS TIME, WORKING AT THE STORE. AT THAT TIME I DID MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SUSPECT AND ADVISED THE SUSPECT I WAS INVESTIGATING THIS CASE AND HE IS LISTED AS A SUSPECT. THE SUSPECT AGREED TO SPEAK WITH ME. I DID READ HIM HIS MIRANDA RIGHTS, WHICH HE STATED HE UNDERSTOOD. WHILE INTERVIEWING THE SUSPECT HE ADMITTED TO TAKING AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF LOTTERY TICKETS FROM B & W REXALL DRUGS. HE STATED HE DID NOT EVER TAKE ANY CASH, AND HE IS UNSURE EXACTLY HOW MANY TICKETS HE HAS TAKEN. HE SAID HE BEGAN TO TAKE THE TICKETS IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013 AND HE TOOK A FEW EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS. AT THAT TIME I ADVISED THE SUSPECT THAT AT THIS TIME HE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ARRESTED DUE TO THIS CASE STILL BEING UNDER INVESTIGATION. ON 112213, I AGAIN MADE CONTACT WITH WITNESS RUGGIERO AND SHE PROVIDED ME WITH ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION OF THE MISSING LOTTERY TICKETS. AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH THE WITNESS I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH MR RAYMOND CREW FROM THE TALLAHASSEE LOTTERY COMMISSION. AGENT CREW ADVISED HE HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE WITNESS IN REFERENCE TO B & W REXALLâS LOSS OF LOTTERY TICKETS. HE STATED HE DID SEE WHERE ON 092313, AT 1130 HOURS, THE SUSPECT DID REDEEM A $1,000.00 TICKET AT THE GAINESVILLE LOTTO OFFICE. AGENT CREW SAID ANY TICKET WORTH MORE THAN $599.00 HAS TO BE CLAIMED AT THE LOTTO OFFICE AND THAT THIS TICKET WAS THE ONLY ONE HE SHOWS THE SUSPECT REDEEMING FOR THIS AMOUNT OF money OUT OF ALL THE TICKETS THE WITNESS PROVIDED HIM WITH. AFTER GATHERING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS CASE, ON 112513, AT APPROXIMATELY 1528 HOURS, THE SUSPECT AGREED TO MEET ME AT THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WHERE I ADVISED HIM HE WAS BEING ARRESTED FOR ONE COUNT OF GRAND THEFT AND ONE COUNT OF DEALING IN STOLEN PROPERTY. WHILE IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE DETENTION FACILITY I DID MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SUSPECT AND ADVISED HIM HE WAS BEING FORMALLY CHARGED AND ARRESTED ON THE TWO CHARGES. ONCE HE WAS PROCESSED INTO THE DETENTION FACILITY I DID CONDUCT A RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH THE DEFENDANT AND HE AGAIN WAS READ MIRANDA WARNING AND ALSO ADMITTING TO TAKING AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF LOTTERY TICKETS FROM HIS PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. AFTER THE INTERVIEW I ADVISED THE DEFENDANT THAT DUE TO HIS COOPERATION HE WOULD BE RELEASED ON HIS OWN RECOGNIZANCE. |
