KEY WEST, Fla. (WFLA) — Authorities from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office reported that a Texas man faced charges for pilfering a rental boat from the Keys and traveling to Cuba with it.
Floyd Dean Devasier, 63, rented a 26-foot Panga boat from a Key West marina on Tuesday for two days, to be returned before the end of the business day on Wednesday. He agreed to follow all maritime laws and not operate the vessel at night.
MCSO said Devasier told the marina he would dock the boat overnight on Stock Island, but it was never seen by surrounding businesses or other vessel owners and was never captured on security footage.
Owners of the marina where Devasier rented the boat from were able to track the vessel’s GPS heading south before they lost connection. They tried to contact Devasier but got no response, and then contacted MCSO and the U.S. Coast Guard.
A fisherman off the U.S. coast took photos when he spotted the vessel, and the Cuban Border Guard later notified the Department of Homeland Security that the rental boat, Devasier, and a 38-year-old woman were in their custody.
“I want to thank the U.S. Coast Guard, HSI, the Cuban Border Guard and the good Samaritan on the water for their help and cooperation in bringing this case to a successful conclusion,” Sheriff Rick Ramsay said.
A warrant was filed for hiring or leasing with intent to defraud, and Devasier was arrested on Thursday after flying into Miami.
MCSO said he was involved in a similar case from 2019, when a past-due rented vessel was located in Cuba. Devasier also has multiple drug-related convictions, the sheriff’s office said.
