US EditionSmokey Bear Aids Arrest of Man Accused of Stealing, Reselling Signs of Iconic Mascot From Florida Parks
FLORIDA, JUL 30 – Hunter Lovett faces felony grand theft charges for stealing Smokey the Bear signs statewide and selling them for $1,900 each on Facebook Marketplace, officials said.
- In Tampa, FDACS officers arrested Hunter Lovett for allegedly stealing Smokey the Bear signs statewide, as Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said, `Smokey is always around our forest and just got lucky today that he saw the bad guy and got him handcuffed.`
- Authorities say Lovett allegedly traveled from Pensacola to Orlando to remove Smokey signs and listed them on Facebook Marketplace.
- Amid rising wildfire threats, the department spent $93 million on equipment as 24,000 acres burned in 2024, highlighting wildfire risks.
- In a stern warning, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson cautioned `If you're going to go in and commit crimes in our forests, you probably need to find a different place` as Lovett faces felony grand theft charges and was jailed.
- Beyond arrests, Smokey the Bear's likeness is protected under the Smokey Bear Act of 1952, with violations punishable by up to six months in prison and a $250 fine.
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Man Accused Of Stealing Smokey Bear Signs From Escambia County To Orlando : NorthEscambia.com
“What happens when dumb criminals poke the beat?” That’s the question Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner asked Wednesday when he announced an arrest of a man stealing Smokey Bear signs across northern Florida and selling them. The Florida Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) arrested a man accused of traveling from Pensacola to Orlando stealing Smoking Bear signs form [...]
Smokey Bear aids arrest of man accused of stealing, reselling signs of iconic mascot from Florida parks
A man accused of traveling to Orlando to steal and resell Smokey Bear signs from state forests was arrested with the iconic wildfire prevention mascot present, state agriculture officials said.
·Orlando, United States
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Total News Sources21
Leaning Left4Leaning Right3Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 19%
C 67%
14%
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