Florida man jailed for 75th time after Lowe's barcode scam

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A 57-year-old man has been arrested for the 75th time after being accused of participating in a barcode tampering scheme that targeted Lowe's stores in Hillsborough County and Clearwater.

“Despite his long criminal history, this man has not learned his lesson. We will not tolerate habitual offenders who continue to harm our community,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said its Organized Shoplifting Unit discovered that 57-year-old Mark Brents was switching barcodes on items or scanning cheaper products to avoid paying full price at Lowe's.

Deputies reported that he was able to repeatedly deceive Lowe's with this scheme. In addition, investigators found Brents placing online advertisements for stolen items.

The HCSO reported that Brents defrauded Lowe's of more than $4,500 worth of merchandise in 10 incidents.

In cooperation with the Clearwater Police Department, the HCSO conducted an undercover operation that led to the arrest of Brents.

See also: Man arrested for sexual assault in Colorado after multi-state chase in Jensen Beach

According to authorities, Brents was arrested on August 21 after driving a black Nissan Altima recklessly with an unregistered license plate. At the time of his arrest, Brents was already on probation for escape.

Brents is charged with organized fraud of less than $20,000, shoplifting of $3,000 or more, and petty theft.

The HCSO stated that Brents has been in and out of prison 11 times since 1985 and has been in and out of jail 74 times.

Find more ways to stay up to date with the latest local news. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top headlines delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get the most important stories and videos you can't miss.