Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Multistate Sign Thefts

Hunter Drake Lovett, 30, of Pace, Florida, pleaded guilty to felony theft of government property after investigators found hundreds of signs stolen from public lands across Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi in his Shalimar storage unit. GPS data from his work vehicle placed him near multiple theft locations, including Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge and Conecuh National Forest. Prosecutors said he sold or tried to sell the signs through antique malls, flea markets and social media; signs belonging to the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were valued at $7,326.79. Lovett faces up to 10 years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 22, 2026.