Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed criminal charges against two violent organized retail thieves.
Raheem Davis Jr. and co-defendant Vayshoun Harris are facing charges for multiple robberies at Home Depot stores across five different counties that involved physical violence against store employees.
According to the investigation, Davis and Harris traveled to various Home Depots throughout the state, filled up shopping carts and tried to check out in the store’s outdoor garden center. The defendants then tried to pay for merchandise, more than $1,000 each time, with counterfeit bills.
When the clerks realized the counterfeit money, Davis entered the store employee-only area and pushed buttons on the register screen in an attempt to open the cash drawer. Davis assaulted store employees who tried to resist. In one incident, Davis pepper sprayed a clerk in the face. Harris served as a lookout or took the cart full of stolen merchandise to the duo’s vehicle while Davis struggled with store employees.
“These two criminals committed multiple robberies at Home Depot stores across five counties, violently assaulting employees in the process,” Republican Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said. “In one incident, a defendant even pepper sprayed a cashier in the face. We do not stand for organized retail theft in this state, especially theft that involves violence—I proudly stood with Gov. DeSantis recently as he signed a new law strengthening our statutes against crimes just like these. We will continue to hold these thieves accountable.”
Davis, the leader of the duo, is facing three counts of burglary with assault or battery, one count of robbery with a weapon, first-degree felonies; one count of robbery, a second-degree felony; three counts of attempted robbery and one count of battery on a person 65 years of age or older, each third-degree felonies.
Davis and Harris are both already in custody in other counties regarding other cases for previous crimes – Davis in Duval County, Harris in Manatee County.
Attorney General Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution will handle the case, which will be tried in Palm Beach County.
