Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that Robert and Jaclyn Dell of St. Petersburg have been convicted for operating an organized retail theft scheme. The couple, who presented themselves as leaders of a ‘transformation center’ aimed at helping individuals recover from drug addiction, were found guilty after a two-week jury trial.
“These fraudsters hid their true motives behind faith and charity to launder proceeds from a large-scale criminal enterprise,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “I am grateful to Ag Law Enforcement, FDLE, Chief Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Paul Dontenville, and Assistant Statewide Prosecutors Eric Ross and Gianna Fina for ensuring that justice was served in this case.”
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson commented on the verdicts: “These verdicts show exactly what happens when Florida refuses to be a soft-on-crime state. Our Agricultural Law Enforcement agents were proud to lead the investigation in this case alongside the Attorney General’s Office, FDLE, and Home Depot to dismantle a long-running retail theft ring that victimized businesses across multiple counties. Organized retail crime drives up costs for everyday Floridians and undermines public safety. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect law-abiding families, support our law enforcement, and deliver real results for the people we serve.”
“These two criminals were defrauding vulnerable Floridians while pretending to serve our communities,” said Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass. “I applaud our analysts and partners for uncovering the full scope of their exploitation and helping secure this verdict.”
Scott Shalley, President and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, stated: “Today’s guilty verdicts are yet another powerful example of Attorney General James Uthmeier’s relentless efforts to dismantle organized retail crime for the safety of our stores, our customers and our team members. In collaboration with Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass, local law enforcement and our retail stores, General Uthmeier has made clear that Florida is a law and order state, where organized retail crime is not tolerated and criminals will be held accountable. With the strongest laws and enforcement in the nation, Florida is a safer place to work and shop.”
“At The Home Depot, the safety of our associates is our top priority. We have implemented comprehensive strategies to protect against organized retail crime (ORC) over the past few years with great success, but it remains at a high across the retail industry,” said Scott Glenn, Vice President of Asset Protection at The Home Depot. “We’re proud to play a role in the nationwide effort to combat ORC and grateful for the partnership and dedication of Attorney General Uthmeier and local law enforcement in investigating these cases and holding offenders accountable.”
The Dells were arrested in August 2023 following an investigation by several agencies including the Office of Statewide Prosecution; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; and The Home Depot Asset Protection Team.
Investigators found that under cover of providing counseling services for those recovering from addiction, Robert Dell coordinated with co-conspirators Jessica Wild and Daniel Mace in stealing power tools from The Home Depot locations across seven counties: Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota. Stolen goods were delivered nightly to the Dells’ residence before being sold online between 2015-2023—generating more than $2 million.
Robert Dell was convicted on charges including RICO violations (Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization), conspiracy to commit RICO offenses, dealing in stolen property (two counts), as well as money laundering (two counts). Jaclyn Dell was found guilty on conspiracy charges related to RICO violations. They face potential sentences up to 150 years (Robert) or 30 years (Jaclyn) in state prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 13, 2025 in Pinellas County.
The Florida State Executive Attorney General works statewide with various agencies—including through initiatives like Back the Blue Campaign—to promote community safety by supporting seniors and military members as well as providing consumer protection resources such as alerts about scams or educational programs against fraud.
