Cellphone theft ring suspects arrested
Orlando Police Detective Nick Collins was downtown early Sunday, telling other officers about a cellphone theft ring he was investigating, when one of the suspects he was looking for walked right past him, he said.
Josue Acosta, 28, was one of three people arrested, accused of using what Collins called “sophisticated” methods to pickpocket phones, extract their SIM cards and phish for the owners’ login information.
“It’s not your normal phoneon-a-counter, phone-in-a-backpocket. These are professional pickpockets,” Collins said.
The months-long investigation began when customers told a bar manager downtown that their phones had been stolen, Collins said. The manager got surveillance video that appeared to show Adrian Gutierrez, 27, stealing someone’s phone. Police found Gutierrez, but he did not have any phones on him at the time, so they could not arrest him.
But Collins kept an eye on him and traced the car he was driving, which was registered to Acosta, records show.
Collins headed downtown again Saturday night, hoping to see the suspects in action. He was standing at Orange Avenue and Washington Street, wearing an Orlando Police jacket and talking to other officers about the investigation, when Acosta walked by. Collins followed him.
Acosta walked to an electrical box, where Collins saw four people come up to him with cellphones, he said. Acosta removed the SIM cards, making it harder for the owners to track their devices, Collins said.
Collins got into his unmarked police car and followed two other men he saw with Acosta when Acosta, Gutierrez and 43-year-old Lucio Rodriguez walked in front of his car, records show.
Collins looked pockets.
“Tight jeans on, you put four phones in your pocket, it’s gonna be obvious,” Collins said. He used his radio to describe the black Honda they got into, and another officer pulled them over nearby, records show.
As Collins walked up to the car, he saw Acosta trying to hide two phones in the center console, he said. Officers found four phones on Gutierrez, five on Rodriguez and six in the seat pocket in front of Gutierrez, records show. All 17 phones were either on airplane mode or had their SIM cards removed, records show.
Acosta, Gutierrez and Rodriguez were arrested. They face charges of dealing in stolen property, grand theft and possession of burglary tools.
People who at their pants reported their phones stolen sometimes said they got phishing messages purported to be from Apple asking for their iCloud login, Collins said. Those who responded allowed the thieves to unlock their phones and sell them illegally. The SIM cards were sometimes used to make international calls, Collins said.
“A lot of people keep their phones in their back pockets. And I like to tell people — the new phones, that’s like sticking $1,000 in your back pocket,” Collins said.
Officers are trying to reunite people with their stolen phones. They also have a large collection of phones turned in by bars and clubs that people left behind after nights out.
People with missing or stolen phones can call OPD at 321-235-5300. Collins suggested they also get in touch with bar managers and ask whether their phones were turned in to the lost and found.