HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Hillsborough County Sheriff’s detectives have arrested a man accused of stealing over $8,000 worth of jewelry from a Walmart store in Tampa.
The investigation began on November 14th after the Sheriff’s Office Organized Retail Theft Unit received reports of stolen jewelry from the Walmart located on Gunn Highway.
Detectives determined that 33-year-old Mark Anthony Vega had concealed $7,110 worth of jewelry in his backpack and exited the store without paying on November 5th. Further investigation revealed that Vega had also stolen $1,643 worth of jewelry from the same Walmart on October 21st.
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Vega admitted to selling the stolen jewelry to various pawn shops. He was arrested and faces multiple charges, including:
- False Information on a Pawnbroker Form – Over $300 (x4)
- Retail Theft – $750 or More
- Dealing in Stolen Property (x4)
“This arrest sends a clear message that retail theft will not be tolerated in Hillsborough County,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Thanks to the hard work of our detectives, we were able to recover the stolen items and put an end to this suspect’s illegal activities.”
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