| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: LOFREDDO, DOUGLAS 0355 (AR07100935) KNOWINGLY GAVE FALSE VERIFICATION OF OWNERSHIP OF A MILLER WELDER, DEWALT JIG SAW, AND TWO RITCO PIPE WRENCHES, AND THE DEFENDANT GAVE A FALSE OR ALTERED IDENTIFICATION AND WHO RECEIVED MONEY IN THE AMOUNT OF $135.00 FROM THE PAWNBROKER FOR SAID ITEMS, VALUED AT LESS THAN $300.00, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 539.001(8)(B)(8)(B); AND DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN, USE OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, TO-WIT: A MILLER WELDER, DEWALT JIG SAW, AND TWO RITCO WRENCHES, OF THE VALUE OF THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($300.00) OR MORE, BUT LESS THAN TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($20,000.00), WITH THE INTENT TO EITHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE THE VICTIM OF A RIGHT TO THE PROPERTY OR A BENEFIT THEREOF, OR DID APPROPRIATE THE SAID PROPERTY TO HIS OWN USE OR THE USE OF ANY PERSON NOT ENTITLED THERETO, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATUTES 812.014. ON 101007, A BURGLARY WAS REPORTED AT THE BENTLEY'S STRIPING LOCATED AT 1412 WHITE LAKE DRIVE IN INVERNESS. DURING THAT BURGLARY A MILLER ARC WELDER, A NAPA FLOOR JACK AND A NAPA BATTERY CHARGER WERE TAKEN. ON 122107 AT 0800 HOURS, I ARRIVED AT BENTLEY'S STRIPING AND MADE CONTACT WITH DEPUTY DUHART REFERENCE THIS CASE. SHE BRIEFED ME ON THE INCIDENT AND ADVISED THAT SHE HAD DEVELOPED A SUSPECT NAMED MR CHRISTOPHER LUTTON. SHE SAID THAT THE COMPLAINANT PROVIDED HER WITH MR LUTTON'S NAME, WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE. UPON CHECKING PAWN TRANSACTIONS, DEPUTY DUHART FOUND THAT MR LUTTON HAD PAWNED A MILLER WELDER AT AMERICAN TRADING POST IN CRYSTAL RIVER. THIS WELDER WAS POSSIBLY STOLEN DURING ANOTHER CASE (07100350), WHICH WAS RECORDED AS A BURGLARY TO BENTLEY'S STRIPING AND OCCURRED BACK IN OCTOBER 2007. MR LUTTON WAS EMPLOYED AT BENTLY'S AT THAT TIME. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE COMPLAINANT/VICTIM WHO ADVISED THAT HE HAD JUST HAD THE DEFENDANT AT HIS RESIDENCE ON 121707 AS HE WAS DOING SOME WORK THERE. THE VICTIM SAID THAT THE DEFENDANT WORKED ABOUT FIVE HOURS THERE AND LEFT AT ABOUT 1300 HOURS. HE SAID THAT HE WAS GOING HOME TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS MISSING. I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD MEET HIM LATER AT THE AMERICAN TRADING POST. HE ADDED THAT MR LUTTON HAD DONE FREQUENT JOBS AT HIS RESIDENCE AND MOVES BETWEEN HIS RESIDENCE AND THE BUSINESS TO COMPLETE JOBS. AT ABOUT 1100 HOURS, I MET WITH THE VICTIM AT THE AMERICAN TRADING POST. THE MILLER WELDER WAS STILL IN THE SHOP AND THE VICTIM POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED IT AS HIS. I PLACED A HOLD ON THE ITEM. THE VICTIM ADDED THAT AFTER CHECKING HIS RESIDENCE, HE DISCOVERED THAT TWO PIPE WRENCHES, ONE DEWALT JIG SAW, AND SEVERAL COINS WERE MISSING. HE SAID THAT THE CASE FOR THE DEWALT JIG SAW WAS STILL PRESENT BUT THAT IT HAD BEEN MOVED FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION AND THAT HE HAD NOT MOVED IT. I THEN LOCATED PAWN TRANSACTIONS AT THE GETTIN' PLACE IN CRYSTAL RIVER THAT MATCHED THE DESCRIPTIONS GIVEN BY THE VICTIM. WE THEN RESPONDED TO THE GETTIN' PLACE MAKING CONTACT WITH THE OWNER. THE OWNER RETRIEVED A DEWALT DW331 JIG SAW AND TWO RITCO PIPE WRENCHES FROM TRANSACTION NUMBER D-6985 DATING 121707 AT 1337 HOURS, BY MR CHRISTOPHER LUTTON. THE VICTIM WAS CERTAIN THAT THE ITEMS WERE HIS AND COMPLETED A WRITTEN STATEMENT. A HOLD WAS PLACED ON THE ITEMS AND THE ORIGINAL PAWN TRANSACTION FORM D-6985 WAS SEIZED FOR EVIDENCE. THE VICTIM ADVISED THAT AT NO TIME DID THE DEFENDANT HAVE PERMISSION TO TAKE ANY TOOLS FROM THE BUSINESS AND WAS NOT A PARTNER. ON 122607 AT ABOUT 0900 HOURS, I MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT AT THE COASTAL SUBSTATION AND CONDUCTED A RECORDED AUDIO INTERVIEW. DURING THE INTERVIEW, THE DEFENDANT ADMITTED TO TAKING THE MILLER ARC WELDER FROM A SHED AT BENTLEY'S STRIPING WHILE WORKING BACK IN THE SEPTEMBER 2007 TIME FRAME. HE SAID THAT HE TOOK IT DURING WORK HOURS WHILE THE SHED WAS UNLOCKED. HE THEN TOOK IT TO THE AMERICAN TRADING POST IN CRYSTAL RIVER AND PAWNED IT. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO TAKE THE WELDER OR PAWN IT. HE FURTHER STATED THAT ON 121707, HE WAS AT THE VICTIM'S RESIDENCE DOING SOME WORK. HE STATED WHEN HE COMPLETED HIS WORK HE TOOK A DEWALT JIG SAW AND TWO RITCO PIPE WRENCHES AND WENT TO THE GETTING' PLACE IN CRYSTAL RIVER AND PAWNED THEM. AGAIN, HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO TAKE THE ITEMS. THE DEFENDANT SAID THAT HE DID NOT TAKE THE ASPHALT WHAKER OR THE SILVER DOLLARS LISTED IN THIS REPORT. THE DEFENDANT WAS THEN PLACED UNDER ARREST AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY BY DEPUTY DALE STRICKLAND. AND TWO COUNTS OF PROVIDING A PAWN BROKER WITH FALSE INFORMATION AND TWO COUNTS OF GRAND THEFT. *NOT-EXEMPT* |
