Attorney General James Uthmeier Charges Illegal Alien Crime Ring for Stealing More than $400k in Semi-Truck Parts

Courtesy of the Office of Attorney General James Uthmeier

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier's Office of Statewide Prosecution is charging four members of a crime ring for stealing more than $400,000 worth of truck parts. According to a law enforcement investigation led by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office's Organized Crime Task Force, Geosvany Figueredo-Gonzalez, Brian Sanchez-Perez, Orlando Martinez-Dorta, and Liovel Urra-Penate committed dozens of burglaries of electronic control modules (ECMs) from Freightliner semi-trucks throughout Florida and Texas.

"We have made it clear that crime doesn't pay in Florida, and if you’re an illegal alien, we will work with the Trump administration to remove you from our country," said Attorney General James Uthmeier. "I'm grateful for the hard work by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in this case for uncovering this massive scheme. Our Statewide Prosecutors will ensure the only thing coming for these criminal aliens is a strong prison sentence and a flight back to where they came from."

"This case is a strong example of what can be accomplished when local and state agencies work as one," said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. "The support from Attorney General James Uthmeier and our statewide prosecutors was not just helpful but essential. Without their partnership, the scope and success of this investigation simply would not have been possible. Together, we didn't just gather intelligence, we acted on it and delivered justice.”

Based on evidence collected during the investigation, law enforcement linked the defendants to ECM theft cases in Hillsborough, Duval, Lee, and Polk Counties in Florida, as well as additional cases in Travis and Williamson Counties in Texas. In total, the defendants stole $404,668 worth of ECMs, caused $372,000 in truck repairs, and stole from 93 truck owners.

The Office of Statewide Prosecution charged the defendants with violating the Florida Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, along with dozens of counts of burglary of a conveyance, with an enhancement for traveling across county lines. 

The defendants are currently awaiting trial; however, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed detainers on three of the four defendants and will reexamine the fourth defendant's permanent resident status upon conviction.

All four defendants face up to 832 years in prison and deportation.

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