Cops bust 14 in Sarasota retail theft sting

Thirteen adults and one juvenile were arrested by Sarasota County sheriff’s deputies following the latest retail theft operation conducted by investigators. More than 200 arrests have been made since 2013 in various sting operations targeting retail theft.

During the latest operation, deputies focused on retail corridors stretching from Sarasota to Venice, according to a press release issued Tuesday.

Among those arrested was Sarasota resident Matthew Simpson, who was out on bond for a home invasion robbery earlier this month where deputies say Simpson forced his way into a residence and demanded money while threatening the victim with a baseball bat.

“It is concerning to me that despite the amount of proactive law enforcement we conduct, criminals still think they can prey on local retailers,” Sheriff Tom Knight said in a prepared statement. “Our deputies commonly saturate heavily populated commercial areas thanks to our established partnerships with the retail community, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

“It is sad but true that many of these crimes are fueled by other issues like addiction,” Knight added.

Some of the arrests led to more serious charges such as possession of a controlled substance, false identification given to a law enforcement officer and violation of probation.