Crime & Safety
2 Posed As Exterminators To Scam Victims: Manatee County Sheriff
Cousins Sean Frank and Laura Frank were arrested after posing as exterminators to gain access to homes in Manatee County, deputies said.
MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Two cousins were recently arrested after posing as exterminators to gain access to homes, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.
Sean Frank and Laura Frank have been charged with home invasion by false personation, grand theft and coordinating others in theft in excess of $3,000.
Sean Frank is also on probation for several felony charges out of Escambia County.
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Around 2 p.m. Thursday, deputies said a victim allowed suspects into her condo who claimed they were there to provide pest control as a service scheduled by the condo association.
After they left her home, deputies said the victim noticed that several rings, valued at over $3,000 had been stolen.
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Deputies said the victim reported this to the office, and they told her that they had not contracted anyone to spray for pests. After calling 911, multiple units including K9 responded to the area and set up a perimeter.
A few minutes later, deputies said they spotted a female suspect on the second floor and a male suspect in the parking lot.
Deputies detained them and searched the area. Deputies found a pump sprayer and several pieces of jewelry in a trash can in a laundry room on the fourth floor.
The victim positively identified both suspects, and it was determined that some of the jewelry found in the trash can belonged to the victim, authorities said. Deputies also learned that the suspects had entered additional units, but none of those residents reported having had anything stolen.
A day earlier, deputies said suspects fitting the same description used this pest control scam to get inside several condominiums in the 2300 block of Bayshore Drive in Bradenton. After they left, one victim reported that two wedding rings were missing from a jewelry box.
The investigation is still active, deputies said.
"As detectives continue to investigate, we ask that if you believe you may be a victim, please reach out to MCSO at 941-747-3011," the sheriff's office posted to Facebook.
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