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Posted on 12/10/2025 8:43:52 PM PST by Morgana
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of eight teenagers caught trying to steal more than $2,000 worth of merchandise from a local Dick’s Sporting Goods in Posner Plaza, Davenport.
The teens, who are from Pennsylvania, are members of a Philadelphia youth football team, the United Thoroughbreds, who were in Polk County participating in the Prolifix Nationals tournament.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office shared, “On Saturday, December 6, 2025, at approximately 10:55 a.m., PCSO deputies responded to a report of retail theft in progress at the Dick’s Sporting Goods. The store manager contacted PCSO after observing multiple juveniles concealing merchandise. Deputies arrived within minutes and detained all eight suspects, then continued their investigation.”
“Deputies reviewed surveillance footage and observed the two groups of suspects enter the store separately and then act together to commit theft. The juveniles were identified as Daimon Johnson (15), Mark Bryan (15), Ibn Mahdee Abdul Haqq (14), Elijah Myers (14), Tymir Speller (15), Marcus Hudgens (15), Tymir Smith (14), and Jacob Scott (15). (Per Florida State Statute 119, information about juveniles charged with felonies is public record.)”
“The eight suspects were formed into two separate groups: Johnson, Bryan, and Abdul-Haqq were inside Dick’s walking around looking at merchandise. The second group – Hudgens, Myers, Speller, Smith, and Scott, then entered the store, and Hudgens made a purchase near the front of the store. He met up with the rest of the suspects in the middle of the store with his Dick’s Sporting Goods bag, and the other suspects proceeded to place merchandise inside of it. Johnson, Bryan, and Abdul-Haqq took the bag, passed all points of sale, and walked out of the store, where they were detained by law enforcement. Abdul-Haqq had stolen merchandise inside of a black backpack, and Bryan had the bag from the store with over $2,000 worth of stolen goods inside. The other five suspects were located and detained inside of the store. Speller had a beanie concealed inside his pants.”
The total value of stolen merchandise was confirmed at $2,296.07.
All eight suspects declined to provide statements.
The juveniles were transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center and charged with Retail Theft over $750 (F3) and Conspiracy to Commit Retail Theft (F3). Due to their arrests, they were unable to participate in the scheduled championship game.
Sheriff Grady Judd said, “These juveniles were not from Polk County, they came here from Philly for a football tournament, and instead of representing their team with pride, they chose to steal – they are Thoroughbred thieves.”
“Let this be clear: it doesn’t matter if you’re from here or visiting, if you break the law in Polk County, you will be arrested and held accountable.”
Watch:
During a press conference, Judd noted, “Listen, I don’t know how you do things in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but in Polk County, Florida, we lock you up.”
“Maybe you steal stuff in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and get away with it. Hey, here’s a note to people inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania….if you hold kids accountable and responsible, and they know if they go in a store and steal they’re going to be held accountable, they don’t do it.”
“You didn’t see eight kids from Polk County in a store this weekend stealing, did ya?!”
“Our crime in Polk County is at a 53-year low. Ask and see if crime in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is at a 53-year low.”
He shared the stark difference between Blue Philly and Red Polk County on X, “Crime rate check: Polk county = 53 year low. Philly = ?? we might have an idea why.”
The arrested teens did not play in the championship on Saturday night, which the Thoroughbreds ended up losing.
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The team should be named United Thugs & Future Felons.
That team can’t play worth crap. They lost 26 to 6.
26 to 6!! Wow.
Maybe he was already feeling like his team was the ‘Flat Tire’ of the NFL machine. The stress and peer embarrassment pushed him over the edge.
Never mind the last post. I mistakenly just cornrowed two different news stories together!
That’s a heck of a long trip for a high school football game. I am sure these fine young men are held to the highest academic standards.
No one is suggesting they forfeit the ‘26 season as punishment. They’ll learn quicker.
Ol Sheriff tore into the coach as well. Apparently he showed up and tried to persuade the arresting officers to let the thieves go free.
Just wait until they get back home, and their fathers take them out behind the woodshed!
Oh, sorry - scratch that!
Regards,
Indeed!
Meanwhile, Raekwon Bynes, coach of the United Thoroughbreds, spoke with NBC10 Investigators about how he learned of the theft.Regards,Bynes said that he went to wake up the players only to find out that eight of them were missing. 'I got a phone call simultaneously saying that, "Hey, coach, can you come get us from Dick Sporting Goods?" And when I got there, that's when I found out everything that was going on,' Bynes recalled.
The coach admitted that he had asked authorities and the manager of Dick's Sporting Goods not to press charges, but his request was unsuccessful.
In general, I believe these type teams are overwhelmingly comprised of students academically and behaviorally ineligible to participate in normal school sports.
AND went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to try to convince them to not press charges.
His job is probably on the line for not supervising those ghetto thug thieves.
The only thing I disagree with in this whole story is that juveniles and their information should not be disclosed to the public. If disclosure was limited to more serious felonies, I wouldn’t have an issue.
Can’t disagree more. The juveniles of today are nothing like the juveniles 30 years ago.
No. They are an entitled, perpetually aggrieved demographic that believes in self-serve reparations and hail from a blue state that encourages such. But only for that particular minority.
White boys actually get in trouble for stealing. Murder. Drugs. Etc.
Juvenile identities are not hidden in Florida.
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