A months-long multi-state investigation came to a conclusion on Wednesday, when Monroe County authorities arrested 34-year-old Roberto Alain Riera Richard for the theft of a high-end sewer camera.
The Hollywood, Florida, man is now facing a felony grand theft allegation after a series of fraudulent rental operations that spanned multiple counties and states.
The case started in December 2025 at Sunbelt Rentals in Marathon. According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Riera Richard entered inside the shop and left taking specialized equipment worth $14,400.
However, the paperwork he left behind was a series of dead ends. According to detectives, the suspect secured the rental using a bogus identity and a credit card that was no longer valid. When the return date passed and the equipment did not materialize, the rental company knew it had been targeted.
Unraveling the suspect’s identification necessitated an enormous collective effort. Monroe County detectives collaborated with law enforcement agencies in Broward, Charlotte, Miami-Dade, and Osceola counties, expanding their reach to Mooresville, North Carolina.
The inquiry found that the Marathon heist was not a unique incident; Riera Richard is accused of conducting similar crimes across many jurisdictions using the same strategies.
When investigators caught up with him, they uncovered a cache of phony identity. Riera Richard was discovered in possession of multiple false driver’s licenses, as well as valid licenses belonging to others.
Before being charged in Monroe County, the defendant was already being held in a Miami-Dade jail on other counts.
On Wednesday, he was moved to Monroe County to face formal charges. While he is presently facing grand theft charges for the sewer camera, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
With comparable cases pending in other places, authorities anticipate that further charges will be filed when other jurisdictions complete their own investigations against him.
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