Middleburg man charged in multiple shoplifting cases after selling 55 brand-new tools to pawn shops over a few months

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jason Randell Dowling Sr., 39, of Middleburg, was arrested on September 18 for allegedly stealing over $500 in merchandise from Lowe’s and then pawning the items a short time later; since then, he has been charged in four other incidents of shoplifting and pawning tools.

Since then, a Gainesville Police Department detective has researched Dowling’s recent pawn history and found that Dowling had been bringing a suspicious number of brand-new tools to pawn shops; some of the tools were still in the retail boxes or had been removed from the box but never used.

The detective reported that between September 6 and September 18, 2026, Dowling made 17 different sales to three different local pawn shops, with 31 different brand-new tools. When the detective extended the search back to the beginning of June 2026, he found 55 tools sold to local pawn shops.

The detective noted that Dowling does not have a job.

The detective gave Loss Prevention Officers at Lowes and Home Depot a list of the pawned tools and the dates they were sold, and they are going through surveillance video on those dates.

On September 6, surveillance video reportedly shows Dowling entering the Lowes on NW 13th Street, selecting two flashlights valued at $129 each, a task light valued at $129, and a job site radio valued at $219, and walking out without paying. Those four items were sold at a pawn shop about 20 minutes later.

On September 14, surveillance video reportedly shows Dowling entering the Lowes on NW 13th Street, selecting a job site radio valued at $219, and walking out without paying. About 20 minutes later, he sold the radio at a pawn shop.

On September 15, surveillance video reportedly shows Dowling entering the Lowes on NW 13th Street, selecting a job site radio valued at $219 and a socket set valued at $170, and walking out without paying. About 15 minutes later, the same items were sold at a pawn shop.

When Dowling was arrested, he reportedly said he had been stealing tools from stores and selling them to pawn shops “because he is on hard times.”

Dowling is currently facing five counts of dealing in stolen property, four counts of fraudulently pawning items, four counts of petit theft, and one count of theft. He has four felony convictions (one violent) and four misdemeanor convictions (three violent). He told Court Services on September 19 that he lived in Interlachen (his address is listed as Middleburg) and had been in Alachua County for one day, although the detective reported that he had been selling stolen tools since June; Dowling also said he had worked for an air conditioning company for 21 years. His bail is set at $210,000.

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.