$300,000 worth of crossbows stolen from Tarpon Springs company

TARPON SPRINGS — Call it the great crossbow caper.

Police have arrested three people who are accused in a scam involving $300,000 worth of crossbows and crossbow parts that were stolen from a Tarpon Springs company and resold.

Investigators said Tuesday that two of the company's employees — Clifford Bombard, 41, of Largo, and a 17-year-old juvenile — swiped the gear from their employer, Barnett Outdoors, a manufacturer of crossbows and outdoor supplies.

They used a storage unit in a Largo industrial complex to manufacture crossbows from the stolen parts, said Tarpon Springs police Capt. Jeff Young.

A relative of Bombard — Juanita G. Massingill, 47, of St. Petersburg — then sold the stolen crossbows in Pinellas and Gilchrist counties, police said.

Police said management of the company at 955 E. Live Oak St. in Tarpon became aware of the thefts, leading undercover detectives to buy a crossbow from the suspects.

Detectives searched a storage unit at Ulmerton Industrial Mart, 9115 130th Ave. N, Largo, and found a large cache of stolen crossbows and equipment. Massingill also had seven other stolen crossbows, police said.

All three suspects are charged with dealing in stolen property. Bombard and the 17-year-old are also charged with grand theft.