Florida man faces 10 years for stealing Smokey Bear signs

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida man faces up to 10 years in prison for federal charges related to the theft of Smokey Bear signs from the Panhandle to Orlando in order to sell them on Facebook Marketplace.

A federal grand jury on Monday indicted Hunter Drake Lovett, 30, of Pace, for theft of government property, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida.

The indictment charges that starting in June 2025, Lovett obtained signs "belonging to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Forest Service, National Park Service, United States Air Force, and United States Army Corps of Engineers."

The indictment placed their value at more than $1,000.

Lovett appeared for his arraignment, and a jury trial is scheduled for July 20.

Lovett had been arrested in 2025 by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office and released. A federal indictment on the case began in May.

At the time of his arrest, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson posted on X a suspect being taken into custody while a costumed Smokey Bear stood by.

"What happens when dumb criminals poke the bear? Our Ag Law Team has a suspect in custody who traveled from Pensacola to Orlando stealing Smoky Bear signs from our state forests and selling them on Facebook Marketplace for $1,900 each. Big thank you to @smokey_bear for personally assisting in the arrest," he wrote.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement, Eufala Alabama Police Department and Florida Forestry Service.

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