By Jay Weaver
From Miami Herald
A stolen outboard engine—it’s the bane of boaters.
About 600 high-priced outboard engines were stolen in Southwest Florida and other parts of the state, and then fenced through a Miami-area freight forwarder that illegally exported them to Mexico, according to a new federal indictment.
It is not clear from the indictment, filed in Miami federal court, whether the outboard engines were stolen from stripped-down power boats kept at homes, marinas or yacht dealerships, but the sheer number is staggering in a state where boating is a favorite pastime.
Prosecutors don’t put a price tag on the pilfered outboard engines, but each can cost from $15,000 to $50,000 depending on the brand, make and horsepower. In other words, they’re a hot commodity on the black market in Florida, authorities say….