Man stole $131K in Best Buy merchandise during theft spree across Florida: officials

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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - An Orlando man was arrested last week after officials said he stole more than $131,000 worth of merchandise from Best Buy stores throughout Florida, court documents show.

Earl Glover Jr., 30, was taken into custody on April 25 in Brevard County on a grand theft charge.

From June 11, 2022, through March 22, 2023, Glover reportedly committed retail theft across Florida at least 24 times, according to court records. The alleged crimes took place on 22 different dates at 16 Best Buy locations, including Daytona Beach, Orlando, Melbourne, Ocala, Altamonte Springs and Gainesville. 

Officials said Glover targeted the store's merchandise display. The total amount of merchandise stolen was $131,477.60.

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Earl Glover Jr. (Photo via Brevard County Sheriff's Office)

Glover was seen committing the crimes on store surveillance video, court documents stated. He was seen taking Apple MacBooks and iPhones, among other high-value display items, officials said. 

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Glover appeared to use the same tactic each time. He would allegedly rip the merchandise off the security cables, which triggered an alarm, and sprint out of the store.

During a retail theft at a Best Buy located in Plantation, Glover dropped his cellphone while running out of the store. 

After securing a search warrant for the phone, investigators discovered the phone was registered to Glover, and found photos of several of the stolen items. Data provided by Verizon showed the phone was in the area of more than a dozen of the thefts that occurred between June 2022 and Oct. 2022.

Probable cause was established, and he was ultimately arrested on a warrant.

He remains in the Brevard County jail on a $200,000 bond.