ROCKLEDGE, Fla. — Brevard County sheriff’s deputies, along with other law enforcement agencies, raided Scrappy’s Auto Salvage on Thursday, March 26, leading to the arrest of owner Theodore Robert Gross and 13 undocumented workers.
Gross, 32, of Melbourne, faces multiple charges including use of proceeds from racketeering activity, grand theft, scheming to defraud, operating a chop shop, and conducting enterprise through racketeering. Jail records indicate he could face up to 5,000 counts across the various charges.
Deputies also detained 13 undocumented workers during the raid, including at least one individual from Afghanistan who investigators said had been sending shipments to the Southwest Asian nation.
The multi-agency investigation began in September 2025, when deputies initially searched the business at 5044 Korbin Ave. and discovered 12 stolen vehicles. Sheriff Wayne Ivey noted that Gross had failed to properly vet the vehicles in his salvage operation.
Gross remains in the Brevard County Jail Complex without bond. He and the other employees are expected to appear before a judge for initial hearings on Friday, March 27.
Sheriff Ivey praised the collaborative effort, saying, “Everybody worked hard on this case,” in a video released on the department’s Facebook page.
Further details about the business and its operations are expected to be released Friday.
