Five suspects have been arrested in a nationwide car theft crime ring linked to Fort Myers, following an investigation led by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The suspects face charges including racketeering and theft after agents identified 12 stolen vehicles from various counties, including Lee and Collier.
The FDLE’s investigation revealed that the suspects, who lived in the Tampa Bay area, specifically targeted airport rental vehicles with the intent to steal and resell them. The five arrested suspects are:
Hector Rafael Gonzalez Tamayo – Charged with racketeering, in custody in Tampa
Yoan Oriol Gonzalez Solorzano – Charged with racketeering, in custody in Tampa
Felipe Benitez Alonso – Charged with racketeering, in custody in Tampa
Yainier Pinillo Toro – Charged with racketeering, in custody in Texas
Maria Beatriz Rodriguez La Rosa – Charged with racketeering and possession of a vehicle with altered numbers, in custody in Tampa
A sixth suspect, Inti Gomez Alonso, remains free and is being sought by authorities.
FDLE agents revealed that the criminals had direct access to high-end rental vehicles. The suspects would steal cars from rental lots, alter the vehicles’ identification numbers (VINs), and plant tracking devices on customer vehicles, which they would later steal as well.
The crime ring is believed to have operated across multiple states, including Texas, Georgia, Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Ohio. The investigation was a joint effort involving the FDLE, Florida Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tampa International Airport Police Department.
“This case is a textbook example of law enforcement collaboration at its finest, bringing down a sophisticated crime ring with operations across the west coast of Florida,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass.
