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Many ‘traveler’ criminals have long arrest records
By THOMAS MICHALSKI
Article published on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007 |
PINELLAS COUNTY – Most so-called “travelers” are members of what police call organized crime families who tour the country to do their illicit deeds.
They generally have long arrest records and specialize in particular crimes, or as backups to family members during the commission of crimes.
J.T. is a good example of a multi-state offender with a long list of misdemeanor convictions. His arrests include burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, possession of fictitious drivers license, possession of illegal drugs, larceny, simple trespassing, conspiracy to commit bribery and deportation proceedings. He also is a convicted Federal felon.
Police said his arrests were made in Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In January 2006 J.T. was sentenced in federal court for a probation violation and was sentenced to two months behind bars.
His record in Florida dates back to 1997 when Treasure Island police arrested him as part of a “traveling burglary team.” A year later New Jersey police arrested him for numerous daytime burglaries.
Police alleged he also was the driver for a ring of female burglars. He is part of a large Brooklyn, N.Y., family and is currently wanted by authorities.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has identified three persons as being part of a large local family who prey on victims in Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. Their last known addresses are in St. Petersburg and Madeira Beach.
All three are multi-state offenders who have racked up arrests for such crimes as burglary, receiving stolen property and robbery. They are allegedly associated with others who prey on the elderly and travel long distances to commit their crimes.
Some travelers do their criminal deeds in various American cities and return to their offshore homelands. Others live in areas such as Murphy, S.C., that is home base to a number of families.
Organized criminals are easy to spot. Most drive newer vehicles with out-of-state tags.
One individual caught last year by Pinellas Park police was described as a “traveling paver,” a person who scams people out of money for driveway and parking lot work. This particular unlicensed contractor told police that other “pavers” from out of state were staging in Kissimmee before fanning out to various parts of Florida.
Travelers often share their proceeds with local organized crime families in exchange for doing business in their territories.
A motherlode of information on traveling criminals is available to the public at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Web site, www.seminolesheriff.org/criminal/travelingcriminals.php.
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Article published on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007
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