Arrests Made in Central Pasco A/C Thefts

Charges are piling up on a Land O’ Lakes man in jail on accusations of theft and selling scrap that didn’t belong to him.

Robert Daniel Boyd, 26, was arrested Wednesday, May 30, in connection to a rash of thefts of air conditioners from residences in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes that was being investigated by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. The thefts occurred over a period of time from July 18, 2011, to Aug. 6, 2011.

Boyd became a suspect based on a partial vehicle tag seen on a Toyota minivan connected to the thefts and a physical description. Boyd and companion Lora Goodwin-Fink were pulled over for a traffic stop in the minivan in August, during which air conditioner components were found in the vehicle and impounded.  

A month later, Goodwin-Fink told a detective she thought Boyd was employed by a property management company to do maintenance work. The company told a detective that the locations of the thefts were not being serviced by that company and that Boyd did not work for it.

According to a detective, Boyd and Goodwin-Fink conducted transactions at Land O’ Lakes Recycling and Pasco Iron and Metal. According to an arrest report, Boyd conducted 50 transactions at the two locations for a total of $13,231.60.

Several were of air conditioning parts.

Boyd was charged May 30 with five counts of grand theft and two counts of false verification of ownership of metals. Goodwin-Fink was charged with 18 counts of false verification of ownership of metals.

On Saturday, Boyd was in jail and arrested again on 24 additional charges of false verification of ownership.

Boyd of 25632 Frith St. and Goodwin-Fink, of 1959 Birch Circle, Cookeville, Tenn,  remained in jail Monday.