LUTZ - A family-run criminal enterprise operating out of a Lutz residence funneled more than $7.6 million in stolen retail and construction materials through multiple bank accounts over roughly 14 months, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced, unveiling racketeering and money laundering charges against 14 defendants.
The Rengifo family — Hoover Rengifo, 55; Marribell Rengifo, 50; Sebastian Rengifo, 21; and Alejandro Rengifo, 23 — each face charges of 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. Ten additional defendants face varying combinations of racketeering conspiracy, organized retail theft, grand theft and trafficking charges.
“Our Organized Retail Task Force brings law enforcement agencies together to get the maximum punishment for these criminal enterprises,” said Attorney General Uthmeier. “Enterprises like this take millions of dollars in products off the shelves, and consumers foot the bill as retailers try to recover the costs. Thanks to interagency collaboration, we dismantled this crime ring from the top down, and we will hold them accountable.”
The investigation began in November 2025 when officers assigned to the Organized Retail Theft Task Force identified the enterprise operating from the Rengifo residence in Lutz. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office led an undercover operation, conducting multiple buys and observing stolen power tools, electrical supplies, plumbing equipment, air conditioning components, paint and other materials displayed in a retail distribution manner. The ring targeted Home Depot locations and construction sites, delivering stolen goods in bulk to the residence, where the family resold them at prices substantially below fair market value.
Subpoenaed bank records revealed that defendants managed over $7.6 million in gross transactional activity across multiple accounts between January 2025 and February 2026. Proceeds funded luxury vehicles, jewelry and extensive international travel.
“This operation exposed a highly organized criminal enterprise that stretched far beyond county and state lines,” said Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Organized retail theft impacts businesses, consumers, and entire communities, and we remain committed to holding those responsible fully accountable.”
R. Scott Shalley, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, said the operation demonstrated the purpose of the task force. “Organized retail theft costs Florida businesses and consumers millions of dollars each year, and operations like this one demonstrate that there are real consequences for those who choose to exploit our community,” Shalley said. “This is exactly the kind of interagency collaboration the Organized Retail Task Force was built for, and we will continue standing alongside law enforcement to protect Florida’s businesses, workers and consumers.”
The thefts spanned multiple counties and judicial circuits. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Attorney General’s Retail Theft Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee and Polk county sheriff’s offices. Sergeant Rich Morales and Detective Hector Rodriguez Sosa of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. Special Counsel Stephanie Bergen and Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Eric Ross and Brianna Zupko will prosecute the case in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida.