EUSTIS, Fla. – A sexual offender who served two prison sentences told police he “got lucky” when he found “suitcases with clothes and large amounts of money.” That’s according to his arrest report.
Unfortunately, all the stuff belonged to four construction workers. It was apparently most of what they owned, and included passports, and now the suspect is back behind bars, facing four theft charges, three of them felonies.
The crime happened out in the open, on Dec. 23, in Florida.
They arrived that morning to work on a roof, but, “They had come with all their belongings due to their lease ending,” the arrest report said, “and having to relocate to a new residence, where they would all reside together.”
A few hours later, “The manager asked [the four] to unload their belongings from the truck, so he could go and purchase materials for the roof. Once it was unloaded, they placed their belongings next to a white vehicle on the east side of the parking lot,” the report continued.
But that afternoon, a few more hours later, the workers became victims. One reported seeing a red Ford Expedition parked nearby while he was working on the roof.
“He observed a [man] grab a black trash bag from where they had left their belongings, and run away into the vehicle that fled north on [the street]. [The victim] attempted to go after the [man] but was unsuccessful. They then checked, and saw that all their suitcases and belongings had been stolen.” Each told police what had been taken.
Officers canvassed the area but didn’t find the suspect. They also couldn’t find any video surveillance, but the next morning, the workers’ manager called to say “he may possibly know where the person who stole their belongings is located,” and that a man “who matched the description of yesterday’s theft was seen in the area.”
That man, “later identified as Paul Daniel Rickman,” the arrest report said, “was seen searching through the bushes by the workers where the theft occurred yesterday, and acting suspiciously. The workers then observed Paul … enter a residence with a red Ford Explorer [Expedition] that matched the description from yesterday’s theft.”
That homeowner had nothing to do with the case, and nothing was found in his Expedition. But, “Before leaving, a female exited the residence and said that there is another red Ford Expedition located either one or two blocks” away, so officers looked around the neighborhood.
Sure enough, they found one, registered to a woman. “[Another officer] then advised me he had located a black heavy-duty trash bag in the vehicle,” an officer wrote.
Then, they reported finding “multiple heavy-duty trash bags with clothing scattered on the floor in the backyard. A trash can behind the fence was also full of clothing,” and the workers’ manager confirmed via photos it belonged to the men.
Soon, authorities met the homeowner and “asked about the black heavy-duty trash bags in her backyard.”
According to the arrest report, “[She] said Paul had told her that yesterday he had located some items on the side of the road. [She] said he had also brought a blender and an electric stove, and placed it in the laundry room. I asked [her] for permission to search her backyard and her residence, to which she said, ‘yes.’ I then began to search the heavy-duty black garbage bags and located a pair of shoes that contained a black tar substance on them, which [the manager] had explained previously was going to be on all their clothing.” He confirmed a photo showed “one of his workers’ shoes.”
Officers found Rickman, detained him for questioning, and read him his rights. “He did not wish to speak any further,” they reported. But that would suddenly change.
The manager arrived and the arrest report said he “asked officers if we had located the $7,000. Paul then spontaneously uttered, ‘It was $4,000, not $7,000.’
“Paul was then reread his Miranda warnings and advised he wanted to speak with the officers.”
A sergeant reported, “Paul advised that it was $4,000 that he found in the suitcases, and he split the money with a guy named ‘Chevy,’ who is currently homeless. Paul also advised when he found the money, he gave Chevy $2,000 and he took the remaining $2,000. Paul gave [the homeowner] $1,000 to hold while he took the other $1,000 to go gambling at [a casino].
“Paul advised he thought the suitcases were abandoned property; that’s why he took it. Paul advised that the suitcases were in the parking lot and not on the side of the road. I asked Paul where are the passports, and he advised it was inside his shed. Paul gave us permission to search his shed and during the search, officers located clothing and suitcases belonging to our victims.
“I asked Paul he didn’t think it was odd that he found suitcases with clothes and large amounts of money. Paul advice he thought it was abandoned and got lucky finding the cash.”
Inside another shed, “I observed multiple suitcases that matched the description of those stolen,” an officer reported. “The suitcases were red, silver, gray and red. They were removed from inside the shed and placed outside. I searched the suitcases and located copious amounts of dirty clothing, miscellaneous items, and a black fanny bag that matched the one stolen.” Also reported was a work visa that belonged to one of the victims.
“All the belongings were then taken to the front yard, where [the four victims] were. The victims positively identified it as their belongings and began to search through them. A property log was taken of all the items that were recovered and given back.”
Also returned, according to the arrest report, was $1,000 cash, from the homeowner’s dresser. “[She] said Paul had given her the money and asked her to hold on to it. [The homeowner] said she had placed the money in her room, in her drawer. [Her] vehicle was searched with her permission, but nothing was located. Paul permitted us to enter his room, where a power tool and $31.28 in change belonging to the victims were located.”
Finally, officers interviewed Rickman, who reportedly said, “A man he only identified as ‘Chevy’ and himself went dumpster diving yesterday. On their way back to the residence, he observed multiple bags and suitcases on the edge of the parking lot. The bags and suitcases were covered in water, and appeared to have been there for a while. Paul then grabbed the bags and suitcases, and took them to his residence. Paul said he had given Chevy $2,000 for assisting him.”
And the homeowner reportedly added, “Paul had also given her $200 to purchase groceries. Paul told [her] that he had located all the money in a box on the side of the road.”
Rickman was charged with three counts of grand theft, which are felonies, and one count of petit theft.
His criminal history began in 1995, when he was 18, and the charge was lewd or lascivious indecent assault on a victim under 16.
The following year, Rickman was convicted of that, along with two other counts, and sentenced to 20 months in state prison with credit for 432 days on the first count, and 52 months in prison with credit for 188 days on the others. He served almost four years. Documents containing details of the crimes were not available.
In 2019, he was charged with disorderly intoxication, specifically “causing a disturbance and throwing plates” at a restaurant while drunk, the arrest report said. Rickman pleaded no contest and was sentenced to two days with time served.
In 2000, Rickman failed to register as a sex offender, and he ended up serving 28 months in prison for that.
In 2015, a charge of aggravated child abuse on his live-in girlfriend’s 17-year-old son was later dropped.
This time, bond for Rickman, 48, was set at $8,500, and he has neither paid it or been released.
Nobody else mentioned in the theft case was arrested.
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