Dark web users and police eluders arrested in Southwest Florida

This weekly segment of WINK Neighborhood Watch features a man who dove out of a moving vehicle during a police pursuit, stolen water systems and nearly $25,000 worth of illegal charges with the help of the dark web.

Ortiz Ernesto was arrested after allegedly fleeing from police who used a “stop sticks” maneuver to stop him.

According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, an officer responded to the area of Vanderbilt Drive about a mutual aid request.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office advised 24-year-old Ortiz Ernesto of Bonita Springs, who was driving a white four-door Ford Explorer, ran from a traffic stop heading south on Old U.S. 41 from Bonita Beach Road driving around 85 miles per hour.

Deputies activated their emergency lights and sirens, Ernesto’s vehicle then continued to speed in an attempt to evade police toward Tamiami Trail north.

Deputies in the area deployed stop sticks, which struck the vehicle’s tires.

The car continued north, still failing to stop, and eventually turned right onto Old U.S. 41.

The stop sticks damaged the car’s front tires, which caused it to drive into the opposite lanes of traffic.

At one point, the vehicle slowed slightly, and the passenger jumped out of the passenger side of the vehicle, rolling into the grass.

The car then continued traveling on Old U.S. 41 until it left the roadway and onto the sidewalk, where it struck a tree.

A search was conducted, revealing Ernesto had an ID card only. Deputies learned Ernesto had been classified as a habitual traffic offender, and his license was revoked in 2019.

Ernesto is being charged with fleeing and eluding and driving with a suspended license.

Find more information here.

Authorities are searching for a suspect after a water system was stolen in the middle of the night Wednesday in Lehigh Acres.

Surveillance video shows a man wearing a hat and a hoodie taking apart a water system from a Lehigh Acres home.

Moments later, a second man could be seen helping to place the system in the back of a silver SUV before taking off.

Analiz Gonzalez, a realtor and homeowner in Lehigh Acres, said this is the second time the home has been burglarized.

“When we first decided to put the cameras up, it was because we had seen that there were people stealing stuff from construction homes. Even before we got the cameras, the actual pressure system was taken away from the same house,” Gonzalez said.

No one currently lives in the Lehigh Acres home, as Gonzalez planned to sell it.

If you have any information about the crime, please contact Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.

Find more information here.

Police say Kwame Richardson went on a crime spree in downtown Fort Myers, charging food and drinks at various spots, including Celsius Nightclub, The Cigar Bar, City Tavern, Indigo Room and more.

Investigators say he did it with IDs he got from the dark web.

The charges added up to almost $25,000, and Lee County Clerk of Court documents state that detectives found more than 60 debit and credit card numbers on Richardson’s phones.

He didn’t have the physical cards, but one of the detectives who cracked this case said he didn’t need them to use them.

A document details how Fort Myers detectives cracked a theft case originating from the dark web.

“This is the first time I’ve found or come across one with this much theft,” said Detective Dietz.

Dietz said Richardson obtained multiple people’s credit card and ID information using the dark web, a hidden part of the internet where people can engage in illegal activity like selling personal information.

Dietz said that’s what Richardson did before making a series of unauthorized purchases at multiple downtown Fort Myers businesses.

“He created counterfeit credit cards on his phone to make it appear that he had tap to pay, and then everything was entered in manually when it didn’t work because it wasn’t actual tap to pay. He just had the information,” Dietz said.

Richardson spent:

• $2,584 at the Celsius nightclub.
• $4,777 at Cigar Bar.
• $930 at The Indigo Room
• $2,347 at City Tavern
• $18,112 at Sky Bar.
• $521 at Irie Jamaican.

Dietz said the businesses reported the fraudulent purchases to police and said Richardson also provided a fake ID and name to elude police.

He is now out on bond, awaiting his next court appearance.

Find more information here.