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Release Number: 09-144

For Immediate Release

Public Information Office

May 21, 2009

Debbie Carter: dcarter@hcso.tampa.fl.us

(813) 247-8060

 

 

Who:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christian Lee Hancock,  DOB 7-26-76  (President – Gator Core)

11612 Rhodine Road, Riverview

Charges:  Racketeering, Conspiracy to Racketeer, Money Laundering, Grand Theft and Dealing in Stolen Property

 

Tina Schneider,  DOB 12-31-74  (Vice President – Gator Core)

11612 Rhodine Road, Riverview

Charges:  Racketeering, Conspiracy to Racketeer, Money Laundering, Grand Theft and Dealing in Stolen Property

 

Frank Steve Bonilla, Jr.  DOB 7-14-72 (Employee of Johnson Controls)

10225 – 29th Street North, Tampa

Charges:  Racketeering, Conspiracy to Racketeer,  Grand Theft and Dealing in Stolen Property

 

Jeffrey Allen McAfee,  DOB 1-25-84  (Employee of Gator Core)

11014 Brussels Boy Lane, Riverview

Charges:  Racketeering, Conspiracy to Racketeer, Structuring Money

 

Joseph Gregory Vital,  DOB 11-10-73  (Employee of Gator Core)

11822 Whispering Creek Drive, Riverview

Charges:  Racketeering, Conspiracy to Racketeer, Grand Theft and Dealing in Stolen Property

 

Sean Marlin Barnett,  DOB 6-19-75  (Employee of Gator Core)

917 Balaye Ridge Circle, apt. 102, Brandon

Charges:  Racketeering, Conspiracy to Racketeer, Structuring Money

 

Elier Boza,  DOB 8-9-69  (Independent Semi Driver)

3702 Kitmore Place,  Valrico

Charges:  Racketeering, Conspiracy to Racketeer, Grand Theft and Dealing Stolen Property

 

Frank Steve Bonilla, Sr.  DOB 8-9-50  (Father of Frank Bonilla, Jr. – and owner of warehouse located  9840 Curry Davis Road)

611 Sandy Creek Drive, Brandon

Charges:  Racketeering, Conspiracy to Racketeer, Grand Theft and Dealing in Stolen Property
What:

Organized Crime arrests concludes 1 year investigation
When:

May 21, 2009

Where:

Hillsborough County
Why/How:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Detectives today, concluded a one year investigation resulting in the arrests of 8 individuals charged with Racketeering.  The investigation began in May of 2008 when the Sheriff’s Office received a complaint in reference to a recycling company “Gator Core, Inc.” located at 11612 Rhodine Road in Riverview, Florida.  The complaint was that the company was conducting unlawful business practices and receiving large amounts of money.  Detectives learned that a large amount of used automotive batteries were being stolen from the Tampa victim, Johnson Controls, Inc. , (3802 Sugar Plum Drive, Tampa) which is the largest battery manufacturing company in the United States.

 

The used batteries were picked up from a location in Lakeland, Florida and were to be delivered to a company in Pinellas County to be melted/recycled and the money would then be wire transferred to Johnson Controls, Inc.  

 

The driver for Johnson Controls, Inc. (Frank Steve Bonilla, Jr.) would pick up the batteries from Lakeland and would sometimes, instead of taking them to Pinellas County; he would deliver the load to his father’s warehouse on Curry Road, where the batteries would be unloaded.  The stolen batteries would then be picked up by Elier Boza  or Joseph Vital who would deliver them to the company in Pinellas County  and have the money wired to Gator Core, Inc. instead of Johnson Controls, Inc.

 

Employees of Gator Core, Inc.  (Jeffrey McAfee and Sean Barnett) would make cash withdrawals from the bank after wire transfers were completed, and by doing so, it would avoid Gator Core, Inc. from reporting the withdrawals to the Federal Government. It is estimated that Gator Core, Inc, profited over $500,000 during the course of this crime.