International Courant
Greater than 100 individuals, together with no less than 41 unlawful immigrants, have been arrested in Florida for allegedly looting and scamming victims of hurricanes Helene and Milton, native regulation enforcement officers stated.
Looting patrols in Pinellas County during the last three weeks rounded up 45 suspects on 68 fees that included armed theft, housebreaking, loitering and prowling, grand theft, vandalism and trespassing, based on Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
“They’re going into individuals’s houses, they’re taking stuff, they’re rummaging by way of their issues,” Gualtieri stated.
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One other 58 suspects have been arrested in an operation allegedly concentrating on unlicensed contractors. Gualtieri stated their scams principally concerned billing victims a complete of $250 million for repairs they by no means supposed to do.
“That is the epitome of individuals attempting to use others after they’re down and after they’re out, and so they’re attempting to rebuild and so they’ve bought nothing,” Gualtieri stated.
Throughout a press convention, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri shared an replace on the arrest of dozens of unlawful immigrants who allegedly stole from and scammed Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene victims. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Workplace)
Of the 45 suspects arrested by anti-looting patrols throughout the Pinellas County barrier islands, no less than 41 of the suspects are unlawful immigrants, Gualtieri stated at a press convention Thursday. He stated almost all the suspects have been from South America or Central America.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Workplace has arrested greater than 100 individuals accused of making the most of victims of hurricanes Helene and Milton. (Pinellas County Sheriff’s Workplace)
Suspects arrested within the contracting scams usually supplied to do tasks, together with plumbing, roofing and electrical work, charging a complete of greater than $250 million.
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Gualtieri added that one suspect even had enterprise playing cards to impersonate a professional contracting firm.
“Folks providing to do work on their property, however, in some instances, don’t have any intention of doing the work. In different instances, are unqualified to do the work and, in all of those instances, are unlicensed to do the work,” Gualtieri stated.
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A drone view reveals destroyed seashore homes after Hurricane Milton made landfall in Manasota Key, Fla., Oct. 11, 2024. (Reuters/Ricardo Arduengo/File Picture)
The sheriff added that his workplace had contact with 196 different people who have been in seashore neighborhoods the place they didn’t belong, however that officers didn’t have possible trigger to arrest them. Of these, 163 have been discovered to be unlawful immigrants, he stated.
“So, we made contact with them and instructed them to get out,” Gualtieri stated. “We’ve by no means seen something of this magnitude earlier than. We’ve by no means seen this inflow of individuals from out of the world which can be clearly simply right here to steal and to pilfer and to do unhealthy issues and to focus on these susceptible individuals.”
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Gualtieri stated almost all of these arrested in the course of the three-week operation had in depth felony data.
“Because the Pinellas seashores get better, we’re going to proceed these patrols and arrest everybody we will who’s stealing from the susceptible victims of two back-to-back storms which have devastated our group,” Gualtieri stated.
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Gualtieri stated the sheriff’s workplace will proceed to have dozens of additional deputies patrolling the barrier islands day and night time to maintain individuals who don’t belong there off the islands.
“Our effort to guard the group has not stopped with these hurricanes’ direct influence. We at the moment are centered on defending our residents and our companies who’re determined to rebuild and get on with their lives.”
Florida deputies arrest dozens of unlawful immigrants allegedly caught looting from Hurricane Milton victims
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