PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has been actively combating criminal activity targeting vulnerable residents and businesses on the barrier islands following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced that over 80 individuals have been arrested for looting and fraud.
Between October 2nd and October 23rd, deputies conducted extensive patrols on the barrier islands, resulting in the arrest of 45 suspects on 68 charges, including armed robbery, burglary, grand theft, and trespassing.
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Deputies also encountered 196 individuals who were on the islands without legitimate reasons and were instructed to leave.
In a separate operation dubbed “Flood of Fraud,” detectives from the Economic Crimes Unit arrested 64 suspects on 102 charges related to post-hurricane scams. The operation took place from October 22nd to 24th on Madeira Beach.
Sheriff Gualtieri stated, “As the Pinellas beaches recover, we are going to continue these patrols and arrest everyone we can who is stealing from the vulnerable victims of two back-to-back storms that have devastated our community. Our effort to protect the community has not stopped with these hurricanes’ direct impact. We are now focused on protecting our residents and our businesses who are desperate to rebuild and get on with their lives.”
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