Two men who ran a burglary ring targeting persons attending funerals across several counties have been arrested, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said.
Authorities arrested Jason Whittenton*, 36, and Dwayne Whittenton Sr., 35, both of Edgewater, Florida.
Investigators said, the men were responsible for 28 residential burglaries which involved thefts of items valued at more than $500,000 combined. The suspects would search the obituaries and gather personal information on surviving family members. After collecting the information, the suspects would then target those individuals’ homes prior to and during the respective funerals.
The burglaries occurred between March and October 2010 and took place in the following counties: Brevard, Volusia, Seminole, Osceola, Clay, Marion, St. Johns, Flagler, Lake and Sumter.
Both men were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit burglary, five counts of burglary of a dwelling, and five counts of grand theft.
Jason Whittenton was arrested on March 19 and is currently being held in the Citrus County Jail. Dwayne Whittenton was arrested on March 14 and is being held in the Volusia County Jail. Bond was set at $200,000 for each suspect.
* Photo of Jason Whittenton not available.
