Career criminal arrested in Central Florida for fraud and shoplifting

A 57-year-old career criminal was arrested in Central Florida after a fraud and shoplifting scheme at Lowe's stores. He has already been incarcerated 74 times in the local jail.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrested repeat offender Mark Brents after an investigation by the Organized Shoplifting Unit uncovered a barcode manipulation scheme targeting Lowe's stores in Hillsborough County and Clearwater.

Mark Brents, who has been in prison 11 times and has been booked into Orient Road Jail a whopping 74 times since 1985, has now been arrested for defrauding Lowe's of more than $4,500 worth of merchandise in ten separate cases.

The HCSO Organized Retail Theft Unit (ORT) became aware of the fraudulent activity and immediately launched an investigation earlier this month. Brent's fraudulent activity involved sticking barcodes from cheaper items onto more expensive products or scanning significantly cheaper items instead of paying the full price.

He used this barcode manipulation scheme to defraud Lowe's on multiple occasions. Investigators also uncovered several ads Brents placed online promoting stolen items.

In coordination with the Clearwater Police Department, ORT launched an undercover operation to arrest Brents. On August 21, Brents was observed driving erratically in a black Nissan Altima with an unregistered license plate. When Brents returned to his residence, ORT, along with Clearwater Police, successfully arrested him.

Brents faces several charges, including organized fraud involving less than $20,000, shoplifting involving $3,000 or more, and petty theft.

“Our Organized Shoplifting Unit worked closely with the Clearwater Police Department to arrest a career criminal before he could cause further damage to businesses in our community. This partnership was critical in stopping a thief who has been a repeat offender for decades and speaks volumes about the power of cooperation between law enforcement agencies,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Despite his lengthy criminal history, this man has still not learned his lesson. We will not tolerate habitual offenders continuing to plague our community.”

Brents was on parole for escape at the time of his arrest. Clearwater police filed additional charges related to the stolen property.

“Our investigators were happy to work with their colleagues at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office to get this man off the streets,” said Clearwater Police Chief Eric Gandy. “He has a history of breaking laws in multiple jurisdictions.”

According to local law enforcement, this is an ongoing investigation.