| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: RUBY, SAMUEL 0562 (AR11123271) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN, USE OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, TO-WIT: MULTIPLE LINKS OF COPPER PIPE, OF THE VALUE OF THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($300.00) OR MORE, BUT LESS THAN TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($20,000.00), 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 STATUTES 812.014; AND did unlawfully traffic in or endeavor to traffic in property that HE knew or should have known was stolen, to-wit: MULTIPLE LINKS OF COPPER PIPE, the property of ROSS PLUMBING, in violation of Florida Statute 812.019(1); AND DID knowingly give false verification of ownership or who gAve a false or altered identification and who receiveD money or other consideration from a secondary metals recycler, in return for regulated metals, AND THE value of the money or other consideration received is less than $300.00, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 538.23(3)(A). ON 102111, IT WAS REPORTED BY THE COMPLAINANT, MR CHRISTOPHER COCHRAN FROM ROSS PLUMBING, THAT MULTIPLE LINKS OF COPPER PIPE WERE TAKEN FROM THE WAL-MART JOBSITE AT 7200 WEST CARDINAL STREET IN HOMOSASSA, BETWEEN THE DATES OF 101411 AND 102111, TOTALING $1,692.09. ON 102411, WHILE CONDUCTING MY INVESTIGATION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE DEFENDANT, MR TIMOTHY RAY HARMON, HAD SOLD 88 POUNDS OF COPPER PIPE TO CRYSTAL RIVER METAL RECYCLING ON 101511, AND RECEIVED A SUM OF $239.36. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PIPES AND THE FLORIDA SECONDARY METALS RECYCLER PURCHASE TRANSACTION FORM WAS PROVIDED TO ME BY MR MARK JONES, AN EMPLOYEE AT CRYSTAL RIVER METAL RECYCLING. A PROPERTY RECEIPT WAS COMPLETED AND TURNED IN. THE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE SHOWN TO MR COCHRAN WHO POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED THE PROPERTY AS BELONGING TO ROSS PLUMBING. MR COCHRAN ADVISED THAT THE DEFENDANT DID NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO SELL ANY SCRAP COPPER FROM THEIR JOBSITES. A WRITTEN STATEMENT WAS COMPLETED AND SIGNED BY MR COCHRAN. AT THAT TIME, DETECTIVE FARKAS AND I RESPONDED TO THE WAL-MART CONSTRUCTION SITE WHERE WE MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT. WHEN ASKED IF THE DEFENDANT KNEW WHY WE WERE THERE, HE STATED NO. WE ASKED IF THE DEFENDANT KNEW OF THE COPPER THEFT FROM THAT LOCATION, IN WHICH HE STATED YES. WE ADVISED THE DEFENDANT THAT WE KNEW HE HAD THE COPPER PIPE ON HIS VEHICLE WHEN HE LEFT THE SITE AND THAT HE DID NOT RETURN WITH IT. HE STATED THAT HE HAD GUYS FROM THE JOBSITE PUT THE COPPER IN A SUPPLY TRAILER THAT WAS LOCATED ON SITE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS SCRAPPING, HE STATED THAT HE BUYS COPPER FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE FOR $1.00 PER POUND THEN SELLS IT. WE ASKED WHO HE BOUGHT COPPER FROM, AND HE ADVISED HIS BROTHER IN LAW, MR JOEY PACKER, WHO RESIDES IN TAMPA. HE ADVISED THAT MR PACKER GETS THE COPPER FROM OLD TRAILERS. WE ASKED FOR MR PACKER'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, WHICH THE DEFENDANT COULD NOT PROVIDE. THE DEFENDANT CONTINUED TO DENY HIS INVOLVEMENT AND HE WAS PLACED UNDER ARREST, HANDCUFFED (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND THE BACK TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. WHILE AT THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY, I CONDUCTED A RECORDED INTERVIEW WHERE THE DEFENDANT'S MIRANDA RIGHTS WERE GIVEN VIA PREPRINTED CARD. WHILE CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW, THE DEFENDANT'S STORY CONTINUED TO CHANGE. HE ADVISED THAT HIS BROTHER IN LAW'S NAME WAS MR JOEY THACKER WHO RESIDED IN ZEPHYR HILLS. THE DEFENDANT NEVER MADE MENTION OF THE 88 POUNDS OF COPPER THAT WAS SOLD ON 101511. MINUTES INTO THE INTERVIEW AFTER THE DEFENDANT CONTINUED TO CHANGE HIS STORY HE ASKED FOR A LAWYER AND THE INTERVIEW WAS CONCLUDED AT 1345 HOURS. THE DEFENDANT WAS CHARGED WITH GRAND THEFT, TRAFFICKING IN STOLEN PROPERTY, AND PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION TO A METAL RECYCLER. HIS BOND WAS SET AT A TOTAL OF $9,000.00 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* |
