AC unit listed on Facebook Marketplace lands Tampa man in jail: HCSO

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa man was arrested after deputies discovered a stolen air conditioning unit listed on Facebook Marketplace.

On Tuesday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office discovered an advertisement for the AC unit on the platform that matched a recent theft of a unit from a residential construction site in Ruskin.

Detectives found that the seller, Moises Lopez, 49, was associated with another person involved in construction theft.

When undercover officials arrived at Lopez’s Tampa home, they found the unit appeared to have been removed after installment and had remained unused. Another AC unit and a water heater were also found in Lopez’s garage.

Officials ran the serial numbers on both units. One came back stolen from a Manatee County residential construction site, while the other was taken from Hillsborough County. Detectives recovered both the Carrier-brand AC units and the water heater.

Lopez was arrested and charged with third-degree grand theft and dealing in stolen property.

“Those who believe they can exploit hard-earned money from individuals in our community and businesses will face serious consequences. These crimes devastate our business community and local economy, and your sheriff’s office is steadfast in protecting both,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “Let this serve as a clear message that our detectives are committed to investigating and apprehending individuals who commit theft crimes of any magnitude and attempt to take advantage of community members.”

The investigation remains ongoing.

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