The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office disrupted a sophisticated criminal network that handled retail theft like a corporate enterprise. The investigation, dubbed “Operation D-Fence,” concluded on May 4, 2026, with the arrest of 14 people and the confiscation of almost $5 million in stolen products.
The crackdown targeted a high-level “fencing” business, in which stolen products are purchased and then resold to unsuspecting customers. This specific ring specialized in high-demand building goods, tools, and household appliances, transporting them around Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
The investigation began in November 2025, on a tip regarding a local fencing area. As detectives went deeper, they discovered a logistics network that worked with astonishing accuracy. The crew did more than simply shoplift; they also used false invoices to underpay for goods, returned stolen things for cash, and removed locks on storage containers at active building sites.
Hoover Rengifo, 55, sat at the middle of the web. Authorities identified a house in Lutz, Florida, as the major point for the distribution of stolen property. Rengifo and a crew of numerous family members allegedly coordinated the commodities’ storage, transit, and eventual resale via internet marketplaces from that headquarters.
Over the last year, detectives tracked over 1,800 internet transactions associated with the gang, estimating that $7 million in criminal revenues passed through the enterprise during that time period alone.
During the execution of four search warrants, deputies found $220,000 in cash and seized seven cars used to carry stolen items. The recovered commodities comprised a wide range of electrical supplies, hardware, and fixtures, the majority of which were stolen from large merchants such as Lowe’s and The Home Depot.
“This was not a gang of opportunist thieves. “This was a highly organized criminal enterprise operating across state lines, targeting businesses and profiting from stolen goods on a massive scale,” Sheriff Chad Chronister stated. “If you are stealing, trafficking, or buying stolen property in Hillsborough County, we will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”
The 14 accused are now facing numerous serious allegations, including racketeering, money laundering, trafficking in stolen property, and grand theft.
Attorney General James Uthmeier underscored the broader economic consequences of such schemes, pointing out that the expenses of these massive frauds eventually fall on the average buyer.
“Enterprises like this take millions of dollars in products off the shelves, and consumers foot the bill as retailers try to recover the costs,” Uthmeier stated. “Thanks to interagency collaboration, we dismantled this crime ring from the top down.”
While the principal suspects are in jail, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
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