A North Central Florida burglary ring is out of operation and four men face criminal charges. Deputies say Thursday morning, an alarm went off in a residential area of old town. A witness was able to give authorities a tag number and a description of the vehicle that was in the area before deputies arrived. A perimeter was set up and two and a half hours later, deputies saw the vehicle and made a traffic stop. Deputies arrested Cody Pridgeon and Michael Hackle. During the investigation, deputies found more evidence that led to the arrest of Allen Thompson and Dwayne Mertz. Deputies say all four are connected to 75 to 100 burglaries throughout North Florida.
Captain Chad Reed from the Dixie County Sheriff's Office says,"This appears to be an elaborate scheme of individuals that defrauded the residents of North Central Florida".
Pridgeon, Hackle and Thompson are still in Dixie County Jail, each with a bond of $150,000. Mertz, whose bond was set at $50,000, has since posted bail and was released from custody. Contact authorities if you feel you may have been a victim.