Detectives May Have Break In String Of Cigarette Carton Thefts

LUTZ, FL -- The Pasco County Sheriff's Office may have made a break in a string of thefts of cigarette cartons that have plagued stores throughout Tampa Bay since January.

The sheriff's office arrested Robert Lee McGill III, 25, of 108th Avenue in Tampa on Monday after they say he and two cohorts stole 150 cartons of cigarettes valued at $10,437 from the Sam's Club at 27727 State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel.

According to the sheriff, McGill and two other men entered the Sam's Club at 2:42 p.m. May 20 and grabbed four cases containing cartons of cigarettes off a shelf. They then ran toward the store's fire exit, pushing employees out of the way.

A witness caught and detained McGill but the other two men got away.

McGill was charged with grand theft retail and taken to the Land O' Lakes Detention Center where bond was set at $5,000.

This is the most recent in a rash of cigarette thefts that throughout Tampa Bay that may be related to a crime ring. Law enforcement officials say the ring appears to recruit mostly men in their 20s to go into convenience and department stores and steal cartons of cigarettes, which are sold on the second-hand market minus the cigarette taxes.

While some thieves use the grab-and-scram method, others have adopted more discreet ways to steal the cartons of cigarettes from under the noses of store employees.

Law enforcement officials add that these thieves don't seem to mind getting caught on surveillance video. Some don't even bother to hide their faces.

On Jan. 3, two men used speed and a distracted store clerk to steal $2,105 worth of cartons of cigarettes from a Circle K in Apollo Beach. They boldly walked into the store during the early-morning hours carrying two garbage cans, then quickly jumped over the store counter and filled the garbage cans with cartons of cigarettes. A driver was waiting outside in a Nissan Altima to meet the fleeing thieves.

A single thief used a similar method on March 27 at the Walmart on State Road 674 in Wimauma. In that case, the man picked up two Rubbermaid plastic bins from a store shelf and went behind the cigarette counter when employees weren't looking. He filled the bins with $2,092 worth of cartons of cigarettes and walked out of Garden Center exit of the store where he was picked up by an accomplice driving a silver sedan.

One of the largest heists occurred April 26 at the Thorntons convenience store at 4103 Gunn Highway. Hillsborough County deputies said three men walked into the store during the early-morning hours. While one man distracted the clerk, the two other men entered a back storage area and grabbed nearly 90 cartons of cigarettes valued at $8,242 and fled through an emergency exit. A fourth man was waiting outside in a silver sedan.

Detectives believe the same men unsuccessfully attempted a similar theft at the Thorntons store at 425 E. Brandon Blvd., Brandon.

So far, the cigarette thieves haven't displayed any weapons during the thefts. However, during a robbery at the 7-Eleven on 150th Avenue in Largo on Feb. 8, a clerk tried to intervene and was tackled by one of the thieves, sustaining some injuries. The thieves made off with 90 cartons of cigarettes in that case as well.

Anyone who has information on the cigarette thefts should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), report anonymously online or send a mobile tip using our P3 Tips Mobile application, which is a free download for iPhones, iPads and Droids.