Pair stole 16 golf carts, deputies say

RUSKIN - Investigators in Hillsborough County say they've nabbed the pair of suspects who stole 16 golf carts and other items from several mobile home parks.

Deputies say they spotted Jason Beeche and Michael Griffiths driving a golf cart on 19th Avenue NW and U.S. Highway 41 N in Ruskin. A traffic stop revealed the cart had been stolen earlier that morning.

After some further investigation, detectives say the pair was in fact responsible for 16 golf cart thefts and several shed burglaries in Ruskin. Beeche, 35, and Griffiths, 40, were both charged with grand theft.

Investigators believe a third person, identified as Nicole Kramer, purchased and/or traded drugs for at least three of the stolen golf carts. A check of her hotel room turned up tools that were stolen from sheds, they said.

The 40-year-old now faces a variety of drug and other charges.

Meanwhile, eight golf carts valued at $5,000 have been recovered, and the investigation continues.