Fleet of stolen dump trucks from 3 states found hidden at Florida business, cops say
An extensive criminal feat was uncovered at a Florida “chop shop,” when deputies searching for one stolen dump truck stumbled onto eight — all swiped by one man, investigators say.
The ill-gotten fleet, which authorities said has a collective value of $1.2 million, has been traced to thefts across three states, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Detectives found the vehicles around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, while searching for a truck taken in Duval County, officials say in a March 19 news release.
The trail led to a business in the 4700 block of Hubert Avenue in Tampa, where deputies discovered a man hard at work — trying to alter the dump truck’s vehicle identification number, the sheriff’s office said.
“Detectives ... obtained search warrants for that property and two conjoining properties related to the same business,” authorities said. “They found seven more dump trucks stolen between 2023 and 2025. ... All of the dump trucks were rebranded with the company’s logos.”
Some of the trucks were linked to thefts in Hillsborough, Duval, Collier, Lee, and Palm Beach counties in Florida, while others were traced to thefts in Georgia and South Carolina, officials said.
The 40-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with:
- Three counts of grand theft $100,000 or more
- Criminal mischief $1,000 or more
- Possession of VIN plate
- Possession of motor vehicle with VIN plate
- Sell or possess vehicle with altered numbers
- Tampering with physical evidence
- Operating a chop shop
- Introduction of contraband Into a detention facility
“These thefts didn’t just hurt business owners from across Florida and the Southeast, but they impacted families, employees, and construction projects,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release.
Duval County is a 200-mile drive northeast of Hillsborough County.
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Fleet of stolen dump trucks from 3 states found hidden at Florida business, cops say."