Authorities say a wooden pallet supplier and his employee were recently detained on suspicion of stealing truckloads of pallets from Florida distribution sites.
Bobby Herrera Jr., 45, and Nicholas Howard, 36, are charged with dozens of felonies in connection with the theft of $704,487 in wooden pallets and $231,000 in tractor-trailers.
According to a release, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) began investigating Herrera, the owner of JCI Pallet in Plant City, Florida, in July.
Herrera was allegedly recorded on film removing seven tractor-trailers loaded with pallets from two Florida distribution centers: Saddle Creek Logistical Services in Auburndale and the Walmart Distribution Center in Winter Haven, according to authorities.
Herrera was taken into custody in September. PCSO detectives discovered Herrera’s on-site manager at JCI Pallet, Howard, participated in transporting stolen trailers laden with pallets from two distribution sites while investigating the case.
Walmart, Saddle Creek Logistics, 48Forty Solutions, and Monison Pallets are among the companies hit by the thefts.
“When businesses have to raise costs to pay for this type of loss, it negatively hurts the customer,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
All of the trailers and pallets were recovered by the authorities.
