Jacksonville, Florida police arrested five people who they suspect were involved in the theft of cargo from twenty to twenty-five semi trucks in cities from Jacksonville to Tampa, according to an article on News4Jax.com. The five suspects were allegedly stealing the cargo and shipping the materials down to Miami. According to Jacksonville police, the shipments ranged in value from $23,000 worth of rice to $400,000 worth of TV’s.
The suspects in a case like this can be charged with a number of different crimes depending on the circumstances of the thefts. They are likely to face burglary and grand theft charges, at a minimum. Burglary of an unoccupied vehicle without any violence towards another person is a third degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Grand theft is more or less serious depending on the value of the items stolen. When the value of the property stolen is $300 or more, the crime becomes a felony. However, there is a special part of the theft crime statute dealing with theft of the cargo of a semi truck. Where a person steals cargo of significant value from a semi truck, as alleged in this case, it is likely to be a first degree felony punishable by up to thirty years in prison.