An investigation is underway in Hillsborough County, Florida in response to a large-scale spirits burglary that unfolded earlier this year, according to CNN During the July 8 heist, the alleged thieves stole over $1.6 million worth of alcohol from a Florida outpost of massive booze distributor, Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), which works with brands like Franzia, Sutter Home, Jose Cuervo, and Malibu. New information on this case is now available due to a newly unsealed search warrant that CNN obtained on October 5.
The thieves took 4,277 cases of liquor from the warehouse between the hours of 4:10 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., using tractor trailers to transport the incredible load. According to the warrant, the suspects also removed the video surveillance cameras on site, which kept their identities and the details of the robbery shrouded in mystery for months.
Although the cameras were tampered, according to the warrant, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies were able to use surveillance videos from a nearby convenience store to identify the tractor trailers involved in the incident. The officers also searched nearby tractor trailer storage facilities and found footage that shows the three vehicles in question.
The now-unsealed search warrant was issued for an Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max that the authorities believe contains specific information pertinent to the theft. They are hoping that obtaining this data will help identify those involved in the robbery.
“While we are unable to comment at this time because this is an active law enforcement investigation, we have confidence that law enforcement is handling this matter seriously and taking all necessary steps to find the perpetrators of this crime,” Kanchan Kinkade, vice president of corporate communications for RNDC, told CNN.
