Florida Man Steals Over $8K in Jewelry from Walmart

Mark Anthony Vega’s mugshot. Photo by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

Some criminals believe that a person should never steal from the same place twice, as it could increase the odds of getting caught, but perhaps not this Florida man. Mark Anthony Vega, 33 years old, stole from the same Walmart location twice in less than three weeks, and it was his second attempt that betrayed him. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reports that on November 14, Walmart claimed that multiple pieces of jewelry had been stolen from its 6192 Gunn Highway location in Tampa on November 5. The investigation quickly revealed the thief to be Vega. 

That day, November 5, Vega had lifted $7,110 worth of jewelry by concealing it in his backpack. As the investigation continued, it was revealed that he had also stolen $1,643 worth of jewelry from the same Walmart on October 21. Once arrested, he “admitted to selling the stolen jewelry to multiple pawn shops” as well.

Photo of the stolen jewelry. Photo by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

Vega was initially arrested on one count of “Retail Theft – $750 or More”, four counts of “Dealing in Stolen Property”, and four counts of “False Information on a Pawnbroker Form – Over $300”. 

As of November 29, he has also been charged with one count of retail theft ($3,000 or more), one count of out of county warrant for possessing over 20 grams of marijuana in violation of his probation, another four counts of false information on a pawnbroker form (over $300), and another four counts of dealing in stolen property. This is a total of 19 charges.

As Florida just increased its penalties for retail theft through House Bill 549, which became a law on October 1, a total of 18 of Vega’s charges are third-degree or second-degree felonies. Only the charge for violating his probation is not a felony.

Vega is currently being held at Falkenburg Road Jail with no bond set. The investigation is ongoing.

In a statement, Sheriff Chad Chronister said, “This arrest sends a clear message that retail theft will not be tolerated in Hillsborough County. Thanks to the hard work of our detectives, we were able to recover the stolen items and put an end to this suspect's illegal activities”.
​
Article by Ema Tibbetts