TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office says they are searching for more people that were involved in stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a business in Tampa.
COVE Behavioral Health paid Appliance tech Solution $238,920 over a period of time through wire transfers and checkers in October of 2020 to complete a large air conditioning project and their facility, deputies say.
The owner of ATS reportedly had direct conversations with COVE and made excuses as to why products were never delivered or even ordered.
Economic Crime Detectives then investigated and got enough evidence to arrest Gavin Vasquez, 30, on Tuesday, the sheriff's office said in a news release. He was charged with first-degree grand theft over $100,000.
"Here in Hillsborough County, we believe in an honest day's work for an honest day's pay," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. "It appears that Mr. Vasquez had plenty of opportunities in the last two years to be honest and do the job he was hired to do. Instead, our smart and very capable detectives in the Economic Crimes Section got involved, and put an end to his fraudulent activity."
As authorities search for more people potentially involved with the case, there are asking anyone with information, or who feels they may have been a victim, to contact detectives at 813-247-8200.
