Hillsborough deputies identify Cuban nationals accused of stealing expensive electronic parts from trucks

Law enforcement officials have busted a ring of thieves stealing electronic components to tractor trailer trucks in several counties in the state, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday.

The accused racketeering ring also involves four suspects, all of whom are Cuban foreign nationals and have no legal status in the United States.

Chronister said a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s detective was alerted to the crime ring when several owners of tractor trailer rigs reported their “electronic control modules (ECM)” were stolen from the vehicles in May. The trucks were parked at tractor trailer parking facilities that house many of the vehicles from different companies.

As investigators looked into the case further, it turned out similar crimes were reported in Lee, Polk and Duval counties. The ECMs were stolen in 20 different cases with at least 93 victims, totaling more than $750,000 in value and damages. ECMs are the electronic brain power that run the engines and other components of the trucks, similar to a computer chip.

“There’s a strong secondary market for ECMs,” Chronister said during a news conference, adding the suspected thieves were selling the devices to markets in Texas. “They’re expensive, between $3,000 to $10,0000 each.”

The four suspects were tracked down to the counties where they resided, between Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, and were arrested. They’ve been identified as Geosvany Figueredo-Gonzalez, Brian Sanchez-Perez, Orlando Martinez-Dorta, and Liovel Urra-Penate.

Uthmeier’s office secured some 25 subpoenas and associated search warrants that led to the arrests. All four suspects have been charged with a combined 139 criminal counts ranging from racketeering and attempted racketeering to criminal mischief and grand theft.

Uthmeier seized on the case, linking it to political implications and what he said were loose immigration policies implemented while Joe Biden was President.

“Here today exemplifies the dangers of an open-border policy,” said the Republican Uthmeier. “We had one individual who was here on a green card from the (President Barack) Obama era, three individuals who were here illegally.

“They crossed over to the United States during the Biden administration. They’ve got criminal records and they shouldn’t have been here. And here they are operating this organized scheme,” Uthmeier said. “The Sheriff talks about this $700,000. That’s only because they busted this ring.”

Chronister said since the sale of the stolen goods crossed state lines, he anticipates federal charges to be brought and additional suspects are likely to be arrested.