A St. Petersburg married couple was convicted of running a retail theft scheme that bilked more than $2 million in illegal proceeds connected to a counseling center.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said his Office of Statewide Prosecution got the guilty verdicts against Robert and Jaclyn Dell for operating a “transformation center” that promised assistance for people recovering from drug addiction. Robert Dell is a former pastor of The Rock Church in St. Petersburg and his wife helped establish the retail theft ring.
“These fraudsters hid their true motives behind faith and charity to launder proceeds from a large-scale criminal enterprise,” Uthmeier said in a news release.
The case was cracked following a multi-agency investigation including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Florida Agricultural Law Enforcement. The couple were originally arrested in August, 2023 following multiple thefts over several years from Home Depot stores.
They stole from the retailer under the guise of providing counseling and assistance for those people they claimed to be treating. Investigators found the couple used the halfway house as a front for moving stolen goods from Home Depot stores and sold the merchandise online through ebay. It’s believed the scheme originated as early as 2015.
The Home Depot locations that had items stolen by two other accomplices helping the Dells were in Citrus, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties
“These two criminals were defrauding vulnerable Floridians while pretending to serve our communities,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “I applaud our analysts and partners for uncovering the full scope of their exploitation and helping secure this verdict.”
The couple was found guilty of multiple charges including dealing in stolen goods, money laundering and racketeering and conspiracy. They are set for sentencing March 13 in Pinellas County. Robert Dell could be sentenced to a maximum of 150 years in prison while Jaclyn Dell could be sentenced to 30 years.
