The theft began during the early morning hours on July 8 at Republic National Distributing Company, located in Hillsborough County south of Tampa, according to a newly unsealed search warrant obtained by CNN on October 5. An early morning raid Between 4:10 am and 9:45 am, the thieves removed 4,277 cases of liquor from the company that also distributes alcohol from Franzia Wines and Sutter Home Winery, according to the search warrant issued for an Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max. According to the request, authorities believe there is probable cause for the phone “containing specific information, technical data, and evidence” of a burglary and grand theft. According to the warrant, the burglars, referred to as “unknown suspects,” also stole digital video recorders used by the alcohol distributor for video monitoring. Why RNDC was the target According to the company’s website, RNDC, headquartered in Gibsonton, Florida, is one of the country’s leading wine and spirits distributors, employing 14,000 people across 38 states and Washington, D.C. “While we are unable to comment at this time because this is an active law enforcement investigation, we have confidence that law enforcement is handling this matter seriously and taking all necessary steps to find the perpetrators of this crime,” Kanchan Kinkade, vice president of corporate communications for RNDC, said. READ ALSO ‘Licence to hide’: Western plastic waste dumped in Myanmar According to the warrant, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies identified the tractor-trailers involved in the crime using surveillance video from a nearby business and a convenience store. Deputies later discovered further surveillance video from a tractor-trailer storage facility, which revealed the three tractor-trailers used to transport the alcohol cases. BY TUKO NEWS
