FLORIDA, United States – A 24-year-old Jamaican woman, who once worked as a security guard at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s car rental centre, is now facing 13 felony charges after detectives say she conspired with three men to steal a dozen vehicles from Hertz.
The accused has been identified as Savannah Harsha Phillips, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and now resides in Sunrise, Florida.
According to reports from Local 10 News, Phillips appeared in court on Wednesday before Broward County Circuit Judge Thomas J. Coleman for arraignment.
Prosecutors allege that Phillips played a central role in a sophisticated theft ring that allowed cars to leave the Hertz parking garage without proper authorisation between May 16 and May 17.
A Broward Sheriff’s Office detective reported that Phillips used her insider access to let drivers exit the garage without showing a driver’s licence, while pretending to scan vehicles as they left the facility.
The 12 stolen vehicles included:
- Multiple Kia K4 sedans
- Nissan Altimas
- A Hyundai Sonata
- A Toyota Corolla
- A Nissan Sentra
Investigators later discovered that several of the vehicles were linked to crimes in other states – including a black Kia K4 tied to incidents in Texas and a white Toyota Corolla connected to crimes in Virginia.
Detectives also revealed that Phillips had full access to Hertz company vehicles, knew the keys were kept inside them, and was aware of the slowest business hours to carry out the crime.
Phillips was arrested at her Sunrise home on August 26 and booked into the Paul Rein Detention Facility. She is facing charges including first-degree organised fraud, five counts of second-degree grand theft, and seven counts of third-degree grand theft.
A bond court judge set her bail at US$62,000, but ruled that she must prove the funds used are not linked to criminal proceeds.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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