Authorities say the operation targeted hardware stores and construction sites across four states.
TAMPA, FL — Florida authorities have arrested 14 people in what they described as a multistate retail theft and fencing operation that moved stolen hardware, appliances and construction supplies through a Lutz home and online marketplaces.
The arrests mark a major step in “Operation D-Fence,” an investigation led by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Attorney General’s Office Organized Retail Theft Task Force. Officials said the case involves more than $5 million in recovered stolen goods, about $7 million in proceeds identified over the past year and at least $12 million in suspected theft activity tied to the wider scheme.
The investigation began in November 2025 after detectives received information about a possible fencing operation in Lutz, north of Tampa. Deputies said the site was tied to the Rengifo family and a business operating as Save on Construction LLC. Investigators said undercover detectives made multiple buys and saw power tools, electrical supplies, plumbing equipment, air conditioning parts, paint, fixtures and other materials arranged in a way that resembled a retail distribution site. “This was not a group of opportunistic thieves,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “This was a highly organized criminal enterprise operating across state lines.”
Deputies served four search warrants on May 4 and arrested 14 people. The stolen property included appliances, tools, electrical supplies, construction materials, fixtures and hardware, officials said. Investigators said thefts occurred in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, with stolen items traced from hardware stores and construction sites to storage and sales locations. Detectives said they found more than 1,800 online sales transactions linked to the operation over the last year. Officials also said they seized seven vehicles and about $220,000 in cash during the operation.
Authorities identified Hoover Rengifo, 55, as a central figure in the case. He was charged with racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, money laundering, seven counts of trafficking in stolen property, communications fraud and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. Marribell Rengifo, 50, Sebastian Rengifo, 21, and Alejandro Rengifo, 23, face the same listed charges. Other defendants include Juan Pablo Montoya, Luis Migue Mojena Carrillo, Enrique Rodriguez Boza, Juan Calderon Gonzalez, Damian Gonzalez Pardo Venta, Francisco Zapata Almeida, Yuandy Arturo Fiallo Blanco, Yudiel Santos Santo Domingo, Marte Vasquez Cristian and Gabino Gonzalez Jr.
Officials said the group targeted Home Depot locations, Lowe’s stores and construction sites, then delivered stolen goods in bulk to the Lutz residence. Investigators said some items were resold from the home and others through online marketplaces at prices far below fair market value. Attorney General James Uthmeier said organized retail theft cases can push losses onto businesses and customers. “Thanks to interagency collaboration, we dismantled this crime ring from the top down, and we will hold them accountable,” Uthmeier said.
Financial records are a key part of the case. The attorney general’s office said subpoenaed bank records showed more than $7.6 million in gross transactional activity across accounts linked to defendants between January 2025 and February 2026. Authorities said the money was used to buy luxury vehicles, jewelry and international travel. Deputies said the investigation also found about $7 million in proceeds moving through the enterprise during the last year. The exact total loss remains part of the ongoing investigation.
The case brings together several agencies, including the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Attorney General’s Organized Retail Theft Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and sheriff’s offices in Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee and Polk counties. Officials said the thefts crossed county and state lines, which made coordination between local, state and federal investigators central to the case. The Florida Retail Federation praised the arrests and said organized retail theft continues to cost stores and communities millions of dollars each year.
The charges include racketeering, conspiracy, money laundering, trafficking in stolen property, organized retail theft, grand theft, communications fraud and trespass on construction sites. Prosecutors said Special Counsel Stephanie Bergen and Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Eric Ross and Brianna Zupko will handle the case in Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit. Authorities have not said whether more arrests are expected, but the sheriff’s office said the investigation remains open.
Photos released by law enforcement showed rows of boxed tools, equipment and construction supplies stacked for display and storage. Investigators said the setup helped the group move stolen goods like a business while masking the source of the merchandise. Chronister said the case should show thieves and buyers of stolen property that investigators are tracking organized theft networks beyond single store incidents.
The 14 defendants are now moving through the court process in Hillsborough County. Officials said further updates will come from the sheriff’s office and prosecutors as the investigation continues and court dates are set.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.