Pinellas Park, FL – Ronnie Antonio Copeland, 24, a messenger for the security company GardaWorld, was arrested Wednesday after police say he stole nearly $70,000 in cash from money bags. Copeland, a Clearwater resident, was responsible for picking up and delivering cash from armored trucks.
Between June and August, Copeland tampered with several money bags by removing cash and resealing the bags with glue, according to arrest reports from the Pinellas Park Police Department. The total stolen amount was $69,702.
The reports stated that Copeland was the only one with access to the money during the incidents. His actions were discovered when the branch manager found superglue in his backpack, leading to his suspension.
Copeland faces four counts of grand theft and was arrested Wednesday. He remains in the Pinellas County Jail on a $30,000 bond. Court records show he has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
This incident adds to GardaWorld’s history of scrutiny over its armored truck operations. The company has faced previous investigations, including one in 2020 where millions of dollars were unaccounted for in its vaults. Earlier this year, thieves stole up to $30 million from GardaWorld’s Los Angeles facility, marking it as one of the city’s largest heists.
