Buyer BEWARE
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PINELLAS PARK – Two men were arrested on Jan. 12 for allegedly dealing in stolen delivery pallets worth thousands of dollars.
According to a report from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Dominic A. Devivo, 43, of Largo, owner of D & S Pallets, was charged with four counts of dealing in stolen properties. He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail. Bond was set at $40,000.
Thomas M. Betsch, 29, also of Largo and an employee at D & S Pallets was charged with two county of dealing in stolen property. His bond was set at $20,000.
The stolen property case began in July 2009 when the victim, a business identified as CHEP Equipment Pooling Systems, advised sheriff's investigators that D & S Pallets of Pinellas Park failed to return leased wooden delivery pallets and was believed to be selling them, the report said.
Detectives working undercover were able to establish that D & S was selling CHEP's property and arrested Devivo and Betsch.
More than 500 wooden delivery pallets belonging to CHEP Equipment Pooling Systems were recovered by Sheriff's detectives at D & S Pallets -which was allegedly selling them instead of returning them the CHEP.
D & S had leased the pallets and detectives said the company allegedly refused to return the 55 pound wooden stacking platforms to CHEP. According to detectives, instead of returning the pallets to CHEP, D&S was selling them.
The recovered pallets are worth $10,000. The significance of the recovery is that certain grocery stores and other merchants will only accept merchandise packaged on CHEP pallets.
By not returning the pallets, and then allegedly selling them, detectives say D & S was then allegedly engaged in dealing in stolen property.
