The party is over for alleged Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members, dubbed the “Scotch Bandits,” nabbed in Florida for a string of retail crimes – an arrest that caused one member to sob like a child.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrest of five young illegal aliens on charges of running an organized retail theft gang that stole thousands of dollars of high-end liquor. But the highlight of the press conference was when Sheriff Judd began displaying the photos of the suspects.
Judd first showed booking photos of all five men. “Some of them are smiling,” he said. Then, he displayed another photo of Ramon Jesus Carpintero-Luna, 26. He was bawling like a baby during a police interrogation.
“It’s not such a happy time,” Judd said.
He added:
Life as he knew it is over. Is he crying because he can’t steal from Americans anymore? Is he crying because he can’t rob people in the middle of the night anymore? Is he crying because he can’t rip off high end liquor. This is the end of the road for him and his companions. I hope he has his traveling clothes on because we want to charge them with racketeering and send them to state prison for a very long time. And then deport them.
Photos obtained by the Daily Mail reveal the men were living like rock stars before their arrests. Social media pictures showing the thugs partying, showing off bottles of high-end Buchanan Scotch whisky, and relaxing on the beach.
Besides Carpintero-Luna, also arrested were Alexis Jose Rodriguez-Benavides, Darwins Smith Vasquez-Leon, Ildemaro Miguel Escalona Mendoza, and Samuel Oglis David Anthony Charlie – all facing charges for organized retail theft and robbery. All, like Carpintero-Luna, appear to be in their twenties.
The sheriff said the investigation into the retail crimes began last fall, when Publix reported that a series of high-end liquor items were being stolen from stores in Central Florida. Walmart and Sam’s Club made similar reports of thefts at their stores. Investigators reported 32 theft and robbery cases in Polk County alone.
The incident that helped detectives bust the suspects happened last month at a Sam’s Club in Lakeland. The thieves were caught on video attempting to steal a shopping cart filled with $3,200 worth of liquor, according to the sheriff. In that incident, the suspects injured a female worker who grabbed the cart trying to stop them, Judd said.
The group fled to their car but then crashed it in the parking lot before escaping in an Uber. Investigators discovered leads when they searched the car, finding stolen liquor, cellphones, and a passport.
Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
