$79K smoke detector theft ring shipped goods to Houston, records show

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A northwest Harris County business owner says he was surprised to learn thousands of his smoke detectors were linked to an out-of-state crime ring.

Court records police seized more than 4,900 smoke detectors and almost 5,800 electric breakers from Reyes Electrical Supplies, or RES, on Hollister near FM 1960 on Sept. 16.

Investigators have linked the items to a Florida-based retail theft ring.

Court records show seven men have been charged for their involvement in a $79,000 smoke detector heist from multiple Florida Home Depot stores from December 2024 to August 2025.

Agents with Florida’s Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement say they witnessed some of the shoplifting with their own eyes in July and August.

“We didn’t have any reason to believe that merchandise may be stolen property,” Mario Reyes, one of the owners of RES LLC told Eyewitness News.

Reyes said his company has been buying goods from a company called Nationwide Circuit Breakers for years.

Records show the company is owned by Eduardo Franco-Viruet, who is now charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering in connection with the smoke detector thefts.

Home Depot placed tracking devices on eight smoke detectors and seven ended up at RES, an arrest affidavit states.

Home Depot conducted its own surveillance at RES on Sept. 8 and saw two pallets labelled “smoke alarms” being delivered.

Reyes puts the value of the merchandise seized by police at $100,000. It’s money he says he hasn’t been able to recoup.

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