What started as a routine Facebook Marketplace meetup in Manatee County ended with three people in handcuffs and a trail of allegedly stolen Home Depot rental equipment that detectives say stretches across much of Florida.
Undercover detectives with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arranged to buy an 18-inch trencher from sellers advertising it online. When the group showed up, investigators confirmed the machine had been rented just minutes earlier from the Home Depot on State Road 64, then placed the suspects under arrest. Deputies say the crew is tied to at least 55 stolen pieces of equipment worth more than $52,000, and that a fourth suspect is still wanted.
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, detectives first launched the undercover probe after spotting commercial-grade equipment popping up for sale on Facebook Marketplace at prices that raised eyebrows. The Bradenton sting, they said, is part of a larger look at fraudulent rental-and-resale schemes targeting big-box stores.
How the sting worked
Detectives posed as buyers and set up a meeting to purchase the trencher advertised online. When the sellers arrived, deputies discovered the equipment had been rented only minutes earlier from the State Road 64 Home Depot using fake identification, according to the Bradenton Herald. After confirming the timeline with the store, deputies moved in, arrested three suspects and seized the trencher on the spot.
What investigators recovered
A search of the suspects’ vehicle turned up fraudulent ID cards, financial cards investigators say were used to pull off the bogus rentals, and other evidence tying the group to a wider operation, Patch reports. Detectives say they have linked the suspects to at least 55 pieces of stolen rental equipment, including trenchers and other heavy-duty machines, valued at more than $52,000 across Manatee, Sarasota, Hillsborough, Charlotte, Lee and Palm Beach counties.
Suspects and charges
Deputies arrested 48-year-old Nakia Moore, 28-year-old Jaquez Lane and 18-year-old Kitron Richardson. All three face charges of scheme to defraud and grand theft, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Investigators say 23-year-old Angel Richardson remains at large and is wanted on related charges in multiple jurisdictions as the case unfolds.
A statewide pattern
The tactics described by Manatee County detectives line up with a broader trend Florida law enforcement has been tracking. Organized theft crews rent expensive equipment using bogus IDs, disable or ditch any tracking devices, then flip the gear on online marketplaces to unsuspecting buyers.
In 2023, Polk County’s "Operation Heavy Lift" exposed a similar multi-county setup and led to the recovery of dozens of machines, according to a Polk County Sheriff’s Office press release summarized by Daily Ridge.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Angel Richardson is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at (941) 747-3011 or Manatee County Crime Stoppers at (866) 634-8477, or submit a tip online at Manatee Crime Stoppers, Patch reports. Detectives say they plan to keep working with retailers and partner agencies to identify additional victims and untangle the resale channels used by organized theft rings.
