More than $8,000 of jewelry from recent Central Florida retail theft was recovered by law enforcement.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for stealing the more than $8,000 worth of jewelry from a Walmart store in Tampa. The Sheriff made it clear that retail theft will not be tolerated.
On November 14th, detectives with HCSO’s Organized Retail Theft Unit launched an investigation after receiving reports of stolen jewelry from the Walmart located at 6192 Gunn Highway in Tampa.
Through investigative efforts, detectives determined that on November 5th, 33-year-old Mark Anthony Vega concealed $7,110 worth of jewelry in his backpack and exited the store without paying.
Further investigation revealed that Vega had also stolen $1,643 worth of jewelry from the same Walmart on October 21st.
Vega later admitted to selling the stolen jewelry to multiple pawn shops.
According to local law enforcement, Mark Anthony Vega is facing charges of Retail Theft – $750 or More, Dealing in Stolen Property (x4), and False Information on a Pawnbroker Form – Over $300 (x4).
“This arrest sends a clear message that retail theft will not be tolerated in Hillsborough County,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Thanks to the hard work of our detectives, we were able to recover the stolen items and put an end to this suspect’s illegal activities.”
This is an active investigation, according to law enforcement.
