TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Suspects Sign Up For Orient Trip, Win Stay In Orient Road Jail

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office

Deputies advertised a fake raffle at the store to get personal information to make the round-up easier. The prize: a trip to the Orient. “Orient Road Jail,” a deputy said.

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOSH POLTILOVE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

Updated: 09/17/2008 05:35 pm

TAMPA - Some of the suspects in a yearlong undercover operation involving stolen property were particularly dangerous or going to be hard to find.

So Hillsborough County deputies set up a fake raffle at the business they had set up, offering those suspects a chance to win a trip to the Orient. The suspects flocked for the chance, providing personal contact information to investigators.

A sign about the free trip said winners will receive onsite security and get a chance to check out all the bars. "Lock in your chance to win this great trip," the sign states. "Length of stay may vary. See agent for details."

When deputies were ready to make arrests, they used the raffle to help bust about 10 unsuspecting suspects trying to win the trip. "The Orient is, of course, the Orient Road Jail," said Lt. Steve Launikitis, who came up with the idea. "It was a spin. Nobody had a clue. It was a little play on words there, but nobody picked up on it."

Through the operation, deputies netted nearly $1.5 million in stolen property and made more than 120 arrests, Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee said at a news conference this afternoon.

In October, investigators opened a business called SouthEast Auction Service at 7902 W. Waters Ave. Undercover deputies bought stolen property in a sting called "Operation SouthEast Auction Service." Deputies also made other purchases outside the store as part of the operation, including stolen vehicles.

For about a year, they bought illegal or stolen guns and some drugs. They recovered 102 firearms, 50 vehicles and other stolen property. They also seized nearly $78,000 cash and about 40 pounds of cocaine valued at more than $1 million.

More than 140 people were identified and more than 120 were arrested as of this afternoon.

The investigation's primary focus was to take guns off the streets, Gee said. It worked. At the news conference, Gee stood near everything from handguns to assault rifles.

Operation SouthEast Auction Service was similar to an operation last year called "Deputies Against Guns." In that investigation, detectives opened a shady little electronics store called DAG's Electronics at 12008 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Seffner.

In "Deputies Against Guns," deputies recovered nearly $2 million in stolen cars, trucks, motorcycles, electronics and watercraft. Gee called it the biggest sting of its kind in Hillsborough County in 19 years.

Both operations, deputies said, worked in similar ways, with word spreading quickly that they would be willing to buy stolen property for cash.

This time, the sheriff's office spent $72,641 in confiscated drug money to buy stolen property, paying 5 cents on the dollar for the goods, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. Deputies are still investigating whether the people arrested in the operation were involved in other crimes.

One laptop purchased by deputies had been stolen from a Hillsborough County deputy's house, Maj. Paul Davis said.

Another gun purchased said 'Maine State Police' on it.

"We haven't contacted them yet, but we will," Davis said.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT