Man arrested at GRACE Marketplace, charged with stealing and pawning power tools from multiple stores
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Christopher Nelson Tracey, 42, was arrested in May at GRACE Marketplace on a warrant for stealing four ceiling fans from a Home Depot store in Gainesville on April 30. He has now been charged in five other similar thefts or attempted thefts, along with co-defendant Jacy Tramel, 40.
On April 30, a Home Depot Loss Prevention Officer (LPO) gave a Gainesville Police Department Officer store video that showed a man selecting four smart ceiling fans and then walking out of the store with them and loading them into a white Chrysler Pacifica.
The same LPO was at a Lake City Home Depot store on May 2 and saw the same man walking past the customer service desk. The LPO followed the man around the store while he filled his cart with merchandise; when he confronted the man, he abandoned the cart and ran to a white Pacifica. A Gainesville Police Department officer used facial recognition software to identify the man as Tracey. Separately, a different officer used different facial recognition software to come up with the same name. The LPO positively identified Tracey in a photo line-up.
Officers learned on May 3 that tools sold at Home Depot had been pawned the previous day, so they suspected there had been a Home Depot theft after the unsuccessful Lake City incident on May 2.
On May 3, Tracey reportedly went to the Lowe’s at Butler Plaza and put power tools valued at $1,372.12 in a shopping cart; he then allegedly walked out without paying for them. After an LPO confronted him outside the store, Tracey reportedly abandoned the cart and left in a white Pacifica. The LPO made a note of the tag on the Pacifica.
After leaving Lowe’s, Tracey and Tramel allegedly went to the Lowe’s in Alachua, where they put power tools valued at $1,102 in a shopping cart and tried to walk out, but an employee directed them to the checkout area. The employee reportedly helped them scan the tools, and then Tramel allegedly went to the register and pretended to try to pay for the tools. While the employee was distracted with the false attempt to pay, Tracey allegedly walked out with the cart, loaded the power tools into the Pacifica, and drove away. After Tramel failed to pay for the items, he also left the store.
The two men allegedly drove straight to a pawn store in Gainesville and pawned the power tools with Tracey’s ID, signature, and thumbprint.
On May 5, a GPD officer conducted a traffic stop on the Pacifica; the driver, who was the registered owner of the vehicle, was a relative of Tramel who reportedly confirmed that Tramel drives that car.
On May 18, Tracey was arrested at GRACE Marketplace for trespass after warning, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting an officer without violence.
Post Miranda, Tracey reportedly provided a detailed confession about his involvement in the thefts and said that Tramel was the driver of the Pacifica. He said he was “put up to it” by Tramel and another individual and said Tramel was “fully aware” of the thefts. Tracey reportedly said that Tramel gives him cash or drugs as payment for stealing and pawning the tools.
Tracey reportedly said that after the unsuccessful theft attempt in Lake City on May 2, Tramel said he had to “make some money” and took Tracey to the Home Depot off Tower Road, where Tracey admitted taking “numerous power tools” that matched the list of tools pawned on May 2.
Tracey has five felony convictions (none violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (none violent). He is being held on a combined bail of $93,500. Tramel is not currently in custody.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Both Tracey and Tramel need to be put away. Maybe then the peuces at lowes and home depot can be lowered. Both are thieves sooner or later that right property owner will meet these two.
Cut them hands.
You people are sick. You need psychiatric help. Or maybe they should lock you up or cut your hands instead and see how you like it. You disgust me.
Then stop reading our posts. Pretty simple we live in a constitutional republic where you have freedom of speech and freedom to choose what not to read. I really think you are the one with a mental issues and no sense of reality Polly Boy. Pkease seek help.
Plus, in this country unlike communist countries you are supposed to be judged fairly and only areested if you break the law unless you live in some left wing liberal states. So I doubt I will ever be locked up for actual criminal charges, maybe for political persecution but not crimes. Again you need help.
He might as well have posed for the cameras, no disguise, no stolen tag, no nuthin.
Cops followed him right back to his haunt. Gives Grace Marketplace a bad name 😁
I am embarrassed to call Gainesville home. Mostly because of the uncontrolled sprawl, the homeless camps, and the way the city has run themselves into the ground financially.
Then there’s Paulie. Poor Paulie probably never had anything stolen from him ever, and is as calm as a bottle of Xanax while he lets people walk all over him. Paulie feels that anyone should be allowed to commit whatever crime they want without punishment or interruption, let alone face any consequences. Paulie for city commission!
Soon to be six felonies. Nothing to see here…..just another ‘tool’ stealing other peoples tools.
Judges are keeping them jailed with high or no bails — in hot summers only. So their golden geese will survive until fall.
Plus it’s an election year. 🤡
If we had the political will we used to , we could bring back the county work camp, hoeing peas and chopping the right of way
Agree completely. Making them work to produce their own food and food to sell. Used to be that in the Orange County Prison Camp they grew food and raised cattle and pigs. I guess somebody things lifting weights and watching tv is better for them than working.
Shut down Dis-GRACE. It’s a cesspool and breeding ground for criminals. Why are taxpayers funding this awful place. At least 3 times a week or more is there some criminal shanigans going on there. 🤡
Lets Go Brandon ,Biden is a Pea Dough File
Trump 2024
Let them go! (Just kidding!) Like the CA DA said in 2020 after all the looting going on in CA and across the US, “we need to consider whether or not they needed this stuff before we charge them with looting”, I know there is not much of a difference between looting and stealing, or is there? LoL!!!!
Yep, for you who don’t believe it, here is the proof from the NY Post: https://nypost.com/2020/09/02/das-policy-to-consider-looters-needs-before-charging-them/