Man accused of grand theft after reporting getting robbed in Hobe Sound
June 11th, 2009 by Ana X. Ceron
Henry Froats
STUART — A man who reported getting robbed of a half-million dollars in diamonds and jewelry was arrested on a grand theft charge after investigators realized the victim turned out to be their suspect.
Henry Froats, 30, told a Florida Highway Patrol trooper late Wednesday night he had been robbed on the side of Interstate 95 as he was fixing a flat tire shortly before 9:30 p.m.
Froats, who works a jewelry store, told the trooper a man in a blue vehicle pulled up behind him and robbed him at gun-point, taking off with a half-million dollars in jewelry and his cell phone.
Martin County Sheriff’s investigators checked Froats’s trunk and found a suitcase with a computer case that contained diamonds, a cell phone and a cell phone’s memory chip, according to a sheriff’s report.
Det. Leo Ferreira called AT&T, which verified that the SIM card belonged to the phone that Froats reported stolen, deputies said.
When questioned, Froats admitted he had lied, deputies said. He told investigators he made up the theft to he wouldn’t get in trouble for taking the diamonds, allowing his boss to claim the loss to his insurance.
Froats was booked into the Martin County jail early this morning. He is currently being held in the Martin County Jail in lieu of $40,000 bail.
Tags: diamonds, Florida Highway Patrol, Henry Froats, Interstate 95, jewelry, Leo Ferreira, Martin County Sheriff's Office
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June 11th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Dumb Ass
June 11th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Way to think things through, Plan much? Shithead.
June 14th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Haha. Well he didn’t think that through very well. Idiot.