MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – A months-long multi-state investigation came to a close on Wednesday as Monroe County authorities booked 34-year-old Roberto Alain Riera Richard into jail for the theft of a high-end sewer camera.
The Hollywood, Florida, man now faces a felony charge of grand theft following a series of fraudulent rental schemes that stretched across several counties and state lines.
The case began in December 2025 at Sunbelt Rentals in Marathon. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Riera Richard walked into the business and walked out with specialized equipment valued at $14,400.
However, the paperwork he left behind was a trail of dead ends. Detectives say the suspect used a false name to secure the rental and provided a credit card that was no longer active. When the return date passed and the equipment never reappeared, the rental company realized they had been targeted.
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Unraveling the suspect’s identity required a massive collaborative effort. Monroe County detectives teamed up with law enforcement agencies in Broward, Charlotte, Miami-Dade, and Osceola counties, even extending their reach to Mooresville, North Carolina.
The investigation revealed that the Marathon theft was not an isolated incident; Riera Richard was allegedly committing similar crimes using the same tactics in multiple jurisdictions.
When investigators finally caught up with him, they discovered a stash of fraudulent identification. Riera Richard was found in possession of several fake driver’s licenses, along with legitimate licenses belonging to other people.
Before facing charges in Monroe County, the suspect was already being held in a Miami-Dade jail on separate charges.
He was transferred to Monroe County on Wednesday to be formally booked. While he is currently facing grand theft charges for the sewer camera, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office noted that the investigation remains active.
With similar cases pending in other areas, authorities expect more charges to be filed as other jurisdictions finalize their own cases against him.
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