Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Orlando Regional Operations Center special agents today arrested three people responsible for leading a retail theft ring that stole more than $100,000 worth of merchandise from stores in Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Pasco, Flagler, Hillsborough, Seminole, Pinellas, Marion and Volusia counties.
Andrew E. Kellerson, 42, Charles T. Teall, 49 and Jason W. Davenport, 39 were charged Thursday with grand theft. Kellerson and Teall were also charged with one count of racketeering.
The investigation began in January 2010 when the FDLE was contacted by the Tavares Police Department regarding a number of thefts of Dyson vacuums from appliance stores. The investigation revealed that the thefts were taking place in a number of cities in Florida and were believed to be linked together. FDLE agents say the suspects would go into the stores, which were primarily located along major highways, and then allegedly take Dyson vacuums and other merchandise out of the store and later sell the items on the Internet.
All of the suspects are currently in custody. Kellerson is being held in the Hillsborough County Jail, Teall is being held in the Pasco County Jail and Davenport is being held in the Gulf County Correctional Institution.
