The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A repair person was accused of stealing 18 turtles worth a total approximate value of $30,000 while working for a breeder.
“The Turtle Source” is located in Estero, and they advertise that they are “Your #1 Local Breeder and Seller of Turtles, Tortoises, and Supplies.” They have a variety of turtles, including some that are rare and expensive.
The owner of The Turtle Source needed to hire an appliance repair person to fix some things at the establishment.
He decided to hire 47-year-old Jermaine Wofford, who went to the property and began working on a beverage cooler.
According to reports, Wofford told the owner that he would have to leave and get a part that was needed to complete the job.
After Wofford departed from the premises, the owner and some of the staff members believed that some of the turtles were missing. No one immediately connected Wofford to the absence of the reptiles.
Wofford returned to Turtle Source to complete his work.
When the man left the second time, several more turtles were believed to be missing. The owner noticed that the store’s long-time mascot “Hunchy,” a rare African turtle, was also missing. The owner suspected that Wofford had something to do with it.
When the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was notified, they collected surveillance videos from cameras that were affixed in several places around the area.
Using the images from the recordings and facial recognition software, the investigators believed they had proof that Wofford was the suspect they were seeking for the turtle thievery.
Wofford was tracked down and taken into custody for suspicion of grand theft. He was incarcerated on a $50,000 bond, and he is scheduled for a court appearance regarding the matter on April 11.
It was reported that the turtles were not harmed and are back at The Turtle Source.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.