BC fans have been asking lately what’s up with so many criminal activity stories from Florida or Ohio. I guess these people are new to the Internet. BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE THE MOST INTERESTING CRIMINALS LIVE AND OPERATE. Take this case of Vernon Liles. This is a former Ohioan turned Florida Man who’s been racking up jail visits at a pretty good clip.
This is just his latest, rather interesting, foray into criminal activity.
According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office:
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for a scheme that involved stealing kegs from a local restaurant and selling them to a convenience store that was not authorized to buy them.
Tactical Unit deputies investigating thefts from Evie’s Tavern on Bee Ridge Road viewed hours of surveillance video and observed a man park a burgundy minivan near the dumpsters, open the rear hatch and disappear into the area where empty kegs are stored. Deputies determined the suspect was Vernon Liles, DOB 3/10/80, registered owner of the van, and that he was responsible for at least five thefts involving 22 kegs. That equates to a $3,400 loss for the businesses, which is liable to the distributor, which is in turn liable to the brewery, for unreturned kegs. Through surveillance, they found Liles was selling the kegs to Lee’s Food Store on Swift Road.
Deputies notified the manager of Lee’s that it is a violation to purchase kegs, and that they are only permitted to return deposits for kegs that were bought there in a beer sale. Deputies determined Liles sold 27 kegs to Lee’s over a month’s time.
Because the investigation showed the thefts by Liles was a systematic, ongoing course of conduct, he has been charged with Scheme to Defraud and two counts of Dealing in Stolen Property. He was also charged with Driving with a License Expired More Than 6 Months, because it hasn’t been valid since 2003. Liles has nearly a dozen prior arrests for crimes including Drug Possession, Larceny and Fraud.
Lee’s isn’t just some little carryout where you get a 12er and have a quiet night. Police allege Vern sold the stolen kegs to a keg store that was buying stolen kegs.
The sheriff’s office on Facebook called their operation an “intensive investigation.” That’s what happens when you deal with an Ohio Man turned into a Florida Man. These guys cause abnormal havoc.
