Attorney General James Uthmeier Secures Convictions in Multi-Million-Dollar Organized Retail Theft Scheme
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution secured a conviction for husband-and-wife duo, Robert and Jaclyn Dell, of St. Petersburg, for running an organized retail theft scheme. Robert, a former pastor at The Rock Church in St. Petersburg, and his wife, Jaclyn, operated a ‘transformation center’ purporting to provide counseling and assistance to individuals recovering from drug addiction.
“These fraudsters hid their true motives behind faith and charity to launder proceeds from a large-scale criminal enterprise,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “I am grateful to Ag Law Enforcement, FDLE, Chief Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Paul Dontenville, and Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Eric Ross and Gianna Fina for ensuring that justice was served in this case.”
“These verdicts show exactly what happens when Florida refuses to be a soft-on-crime state,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. “Our Agricultural Law Enforcement agents were proud to lead the investigation in this case alongside the Attorney General’s Office, FDLE, and Home Depot to dismantle a long-running retail theft ring that victimized businesses across multiple counties. Organized retail crime drives up costs for everyday Floridians and undermines public safety. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect law-abiding families, support our law enforcement, and deliver real results for the people we serve.”
“These two criminals were defrauding vulnerable Floridians while pretending to serve our communities,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass. “I applaud our analysts and partners for uncovering the full scope of their exploitation and helping secure this verdict.”
“Today’s guilty verdicts are yet another powerful example of Attorney General James Uthmeier’s relentless efforts to dismantle organized retail crime for the safety of our stores, our customers and our team members,” said Scott Shalley, President and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation. “In collaboration with Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass, local law enforcement and our retail stores, General Uthmeier has made clear that Florida is a law and order state, where organized retail crime is not tolerated and criminals will be held accountable. With the strongest laws and enforcement in the nation, Florida is a safer place to work and shop.”
“At The Home Depot, the safety of our associates is our top priority. We have implemented comprehensive strategies to protect against organized retail crime (ORC) over the past few years with great success, but it remains at a high across the retail industry,” said Scott Glenn, Vice President of Asset Protection at The Home Depot. “We’re proud to play a role in the nationwide effort to combat ORC and grateful for the partnership and dedication of Attorney General Uthmeier and local law enforcement in investigating these cases and holding offenders accountable.”
Robert and Jaclyn Dell were arrested in August 2023 following a joint investigation by the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and The Home Depot Asset Protection Team.
Investigators determined that under the guise of counseling and assistance for people recovering from drug addiction, the Dells coordinated a long-running, multi-million-dollar retail theft scheme targeting The Home Depot.
Co-conspirators Jessica Wild and Daniel Mace stole power tools from The Home Depot locations across Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties. The stolen merchandise was delivered nightly to the Dells’ house and then sold online. The scheme generated over $2 million in illegal proceeds from 2015-2023.
Following a two-week jury trial, Robert was found guilty as charged of RICO, Conspiracy to Commit RICO, Dealing in Stolen Property, and Money Laundering (2 counts). Jaclyn was also found guilty as charged of Conspiracy to Commit RICO. They are facing up to 150 years and 30 years in the Florida Department of Corrections, respectively.
Sentencing is set for March 13, 2025, in Pinellas County.
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