Two alleged tomb raiders have been taken into custody after authorities said they stole more than $20,000 worth of valuables from the dead during a theft spree spanning multiple states.
Drake Milam, 33, and Angela Garrett, 52, the mother of Milam’s girlfriend, are facing numerous charges tied to accusations that they removed valuables from cemetery niches — small compartments used to store cremation urns and personal mementos.
Milam’s girlfriend, Porsche Bancroft, 32, has also been charged with conspiracy, according to court records. All three defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Investigators allege Milam and Garrett targeted sites across Florida, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois, Iowa, New York and New Jersey.
In Florida alone, police believe the suspects may be linked to 20 incidents, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office told Our News Outlet. Authorities said the thefts included cases in Orange, Seminole and Hillsborough counties, as well as the City of Winter Park.
Surveillance video captured a man believed to be Milam and a woman inside a building containing niches. The man appeared to use a tool to open glass-fronted enclosures and, in a brazen moment, looked directly toward the camera.
According to an arrest affidavit, Milam allegedly broke into at least nine niches at Woodlawn Funeral Home in March 2026 and stole jewelry valued at $25,000.
The affidavit also states that in April, Milam entered Queen of Angels Cemetery in Winter Park wearing a medical mask in an apparent effort to conceal his identity. He is accused of opening six niches while Garrett allegedly acted as a lookout, with the pair accused of taking items worth more than $10,500 in total.
Drake Milam, 33, is facing a host of charges after allegedly stealing valuable items out of niches. Porsche Bancroft, 32, his girlfriend, faces conspiracy charges. Her mother, Angela Garrett, 52, faces charges including grand theft
Surveillance footage appeared to show a man using a tool to break into the niches at a Florida cemetery
The same day, he entered another cemetery in Winter Park, where he allegedly stole jewelry worth $2,000 from a single niche, the affidavit said.
Florida police reports showed that a man had told authorities that he and his wife’s wedding rings and her class ring were stolen from her spot, according to Fox News. Another woman reported that a ring she bought her husband for his 25th work anniversary at Disney was missing, the outlet reported.
The wife of Charles Taaffe, a former football coach at the University of Central Florida, said two of his gold championships rings were taken from his niche, Fox said.
Several other families also reported missing jewelry.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the trio on May 7 after multiple thefts were reported at Queen of Angels Cemetery. They then discovered other departments, like Orange and Hillsborough, were also investigating similar incidents.
The value of the Florida items was more than $35,000, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
ALSO READ: Experts Warn Nationwide Blackout Could Last 18 Months
‘The dollar amount is not what’s important,’ a sheriff’s office spokesperson told Our News Outlet.
‘Having a loved one’s final resting place disturbed and cherished family heirlooms taken is deeply painful.’
The trio allegedly used a rental car to get around Florida, which was later repossessed outside of Bancroft’s home in late May, the affidavit said. Bancroft allegedly rented the car from Hertz at the Indianapolis International Airport.
On April 20, Garrett was stopped by an Indiana State trooper during a traffic stop, where the officer identified her as the person in the bulletin from the surveillance footage at the Queen of Angels Cemetery, the affidavit said. Garrett was allegedly wearing the same shirt.
Garrett’s fingerprints were also allegedly picked up at a funeral home in Brandon, Florida, in May, where $800 worth of jewelry was stolen from niches, according to the affidavit.
Milam’s fingerprints were later identified at the Queen of Angels cemetery, the affidavit said.
Milam and Garrett were arrested in Indiana and booked into the Seminole County Jail on August 31.
Bancroft turned herself in to the Seminole County Jail on August 17, court records showed. She bailed out a day later.
‘We recognize that no arrest can undo what these families have experienced,’ the sheriff’s office told Our News Outlet.
‘If you have a loved one resting at a cemetery, we encourage you to check their resting place and make sure any cherished items placed with them are still there.’
The trio allegedly stole jewelry from niches all across the US, with 20 incidents alone in Florida, according to authorities
Milam and Bancroft are boyfriend and girlfriend, police said
Milam faces six felony charges and is being held without bond.
He faces conspiracy to commit dealing in stolen property, conspiracy to commit grand theft, dealing in stolen property, dealing in stolen property organizing, grand theft over $20,000, and injuring or removing a tomb or monument disturbing the contents of a grave or tomb.
Garrett also faces six felonies and is being held on a $65,000 bond.
She faces conspiracy to commit dealing in stolen property, conspiracy to commit grand theft, dealing in stolen property, dealing in stolen property organizing, grand theft over $20,000, and injuring or removing a tomb or monument disturbing.
Both are expected in court on October 23.
Bancroft has been charged with conspiracy to commit dealing in stolen property and conspiracy to commit dealing grand theft.
She is expected in court on September 22.
Our News Outlet has reached out to their lawyers for comment.
