Man on probation arrested for stealing fiber internet van and $40k in tools

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Joseph Benedict Croughin, 32, was arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing a Pavlov Media van and then taking tools worth $40,000 from the van.

At about 2:10 p.m. on August 4, a Pavlov Media employee was working in the 1000 block of SW 16th Avenue and walked away from his work van for a few minutes, leaving it running; when he returned, the customized vehicle, valued at $80,000, was gone.

A GPS device in the van provided a location near the intersection of SE Hawthorne Road and 14th Street; Gainesville Police Department (GPD) units canvassed the area, and a witness said a white male in a teal shirt had driven up and then emptied the van, piling up the tools on the side of the Food Max (1304 E. University Ave.).

A detective found Croughin walking in the 1700 block of NE 6th Place, and the witness reportedly identified him as the man he’d seen driving and taking tools from the van.

All of the stolen tools were found in the area around the Food Max and Dandy Mart, along with another victim’s backpack that contained headphones, his personal car keys, and $3 in cash; all of that victim’s belongings were recovered except for the cash.

Surveillance video at the Food Max and Dandy Mart reportedly showed Croughin carrying the stolen tools and then abandoning them when officers arrived.

Croughin was transported to GPD Headquarters, where he allegedly kicked the door of the interview room; he was moved to a different room, where he reportedly became agitated and attempted to kick a chair toward an officer. The officer was able to close the door in time to block the chair, but Croughin allegedly picked up the chair and repeatedly threw it at the door. He allegedly slammed the leg of the chair into the door’s window and shattered it, causing an estimated $1,000 in damage.

Croughin has been charged with grand theft over $20,000, grand theft of a motor vehicle, felony property damage, and petit theft. He was reportedly intoxicated at the time of his Court Services interview, so he did not provide information about how long he has been in Gainesville. He has four felony convictions (non-violent) and 13 misdemeanor convictions (three violent); he is on probation in Jefferson County and has a warrant for violating probation. He served six months in jail in Alachua County in 2021 for passing fraudulent checks; he also has an unspecified criminal history in Alabama, New Jersey, Montana, and Pennsylvania between 2012 and 2025.

Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $130,000.

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.