Fernery suffers "catastrophic" loss after sprinkler theft ahead of Valentine's sales

Volusia County Sheriff's Office arrests man who caused damage to fernery

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said Thursday that it arrested the man who caused damage to a fernery.

Investigators said the business will suffer a "catastrophic" damage to their sales.

Deputies arrested Anthony Markgraf, 21, accused of stealing more than 2,400 brass sprinkler heads from the field and storage garage at John Puckett Ferneries.

Deputies said $30,000 worth of ferns were destroyed, and the sprinkler heads were worth more than $60,000.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are predicted to spend about $20 billion this Valentine's Day. Of that amount, $2 billion is expected to be spent on flowers.

Investigators said that a worker at a scrap metal yard identified Markgraf after buying the stolen brass from him.

Markgraf was also arrested on a warrant for stealing wire from Duke Energy.


About the Author

Troy graduated from California State University Northridge with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. He has reported on Mexican drug cartel violence on the El Paso/ Juarez border, nuclear testing facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory and severe Winter weather in Michigan.