JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Multiple people deputies said were involved in a string of equipment thefts in Florida were arrested during an organized crime investigation called “Operation Heavy Lift,” the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday.
The investigation began in 2021 when Home Depot investigators started reviewing large equipment overdue rentals. Deputies said investigators noticed a pattern: all the thefts were one-day rentals made by people with Orlando addresses, the GPS devices installed in the units were cut off just hours after leaving the store and the stolen equipment was later posted on social media sales sites such as a Facebook marketplace.
Rental equipment such as Toro Dingo utility loaders, stump grinders, trenchers and mini-excavators was not being returned to Home Depots in central and southeast Florida stores, totaling 16 counties across the state including St. Johns and Duval counties.
Deputies said 61 pieces of equipment and trailers were reported stolen, equating to a $1.1 million loss for Home Deport.
According to deputies, the first theft was in October 2021 at a store in Sebastian. Bryon Johnson, 36, who investigators call the ring leader, completed a one-day rental for a Toro Dingo TX427 using his Florida driver’s license.
He then, deputies said, listed it for sale on Facebook. A man replied to the ad because his auger was recently stolen and he wanted to know if the one Johnson was selling was the stolen auger.
The two arranged to meet and the man noticed the equipment was a rental from Home Depot. The man said he watched Johnson and three other men attempt to remove the equipment from the trailer but struggled to do so. Then, deputies said, the man noticed Johnson appeared to become nervous and suddenly left.
The man reported the incident to law enforcement, which caused them to issue a warrant for Johnson.
Video surveillance, social media messages and text messages connected Johnson to several thefts, according to investigators. He also used his own ID to complete rental agreements and his personal Facebook page to post the equipment.
Johnson was arrested in January 2022 after a traffic stop in Polk County. PCSO said investigators were conducting surveillance when they saw Johnson renting equipment at a Home Depot in Winter Haven.
He was released after posing bail but failed to appear in court so another warrant was issued in June 2022 for failure to appear.
Deputies said investigators learned that Johnson would tell prospective buyers that he was a “construction worker going out of business” or that his father passed away and he needed money.
PSCO said during the investigation, detectives identified Johnson’s girlfriend as a coordinator who would advise Johnson of potential buyers and let him know where rentals were available.
Investigators also learned that the owner of Smiley’s Heavy Equipment Services, LLC, in Bradenton, coordinated several fraudulent rentals and theft with Johnson, and also purchases the stolen equipment from him at a much lower cost.
Johnson paid friends and family members to act as “lookouts” when meeting potential buyers to do counter-surveillance when making fraudulent rentals. He asked them to use their personal vehicles or rental cars and asked them to deliver the stolen equipment when he was unavailable, according to investigators.
PCSO detectives were watching a law enforcement show that airs footage from camera crews who do ride-along with law enforcement agencies when an episode included Volusia County deputies following a white SUV that was pulling a trailer with a Toro Dingo TX427 on it. The SUV refused to stop but broke down on Interstate 95 in Daytona Beach. Johnson, who was the driver, was arrested on his active Polk County warrant, deputies said.
There were also three children in the SUV at the time of his arrest.
The Toro Dingo Johnson was toting was the same one he stole in Jacksonville in December 2021, investigators said.
Johnson is currently serving time in a Florida state prison for felony fleeing to elude and child neglect. He is scheduled to be released in January 2024.
Three other people were arrested and charged in the investigation. Two other people, including Johnson’s girlfriend, and the owner of Smiley’s Heavy Equipment Services are still at large.