Florida Man Accused Of Stealing $540,000 Worth Of Citrus

Authorities are putting the squeeze on this alleged orange thief.
Bradley Reiter is accused of stealing a lot of grapefruits and oranges.
Bradley Reiter is accused of stealing a lot of grapefruits and oranges.
Polk County Sheriff

Orange you in some trouble now.

A Florida man is accused of stealing more than 4 million pounds of citrus, valued at approximately $540,000.

Officials say that Bradley Reiter, of Winter Haven, Florida, agreed to three contracts to harvest local citrus groves in March 2014, according to a news release published Friday.

Reiter, 61, who is not a licensed citrus dealer, harvested oranges and grapefruits from the groves, but never paid the grove owners, according to authorities.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam said that Reiter raked in nearly 50,000 boxes of fruit from five different growers.

He was booked in the Polk County Jail on charges of scheme to defraud, grand theft and dealing citrus without a license.

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