An undercover sting conducted on Friday at Howard’s Flea Market by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office led to the arrests of two Homosassa men responsible for at least 21 recent burglaries countywide, including 10 reported since mid-September in the southern section of Citrus Hills.

Targeted items in all of the break-ins included jewelry, cash, medications, coin collections and firearms.

Arrested were Richard Bolger, 52, and Derek Spinazola, 28, who were taken into custody following a traffic stop at an intersection near the rear exit of Howard’s.

Both men have been charged with three counts of armed burglary, 18 counts of residential burglary, 18 counts of grand theft, plus four additional counts of dealing in stolen property, for a total bond of $191,000. Bolger also was charged with violation of probation on an original charge of trafficking in stolen property, which carries no bond.

At the time of his arrest, Spinazola actually was in possession of cash, plus multiple jewelry pieces reported earlier as stolen. Several stolen firearms also have been recovered.

Both men cooperated with the deputies and detectives involved in the sting, identifying at least 21 homes where they made forceful entry, ransacked rooms and stole high-dollar items for resale at a later date.

The two men told detectives that they broke into homes where no one answered a knock at the front door. They stuck to unoccupied residences that were accessible from wooded lots nearby.

Unlike pawn shops and secondhand dealers, flea market vendors are not required to keep records of their transactions when purchasing precious metals and other items. But the Sheriff’s Office is working with county officials to change that, by enacting an ordinance that would create the same paper trail and keep better track of sellers as well as what’s been sold.

Bolger and Spinazola also admitted to committing similar burglaries in neighboring Hernando County, and Citrus property detectives will be reaching out to their counterparts down south in order to share information.

And even though these two defendants are off the streets, CCSO spokesperson Gail Tierney said on Saturday, residents are urged to make sure they always secure their homes whenever they leave them unattended, even for just a few minutes. In addition, Tierney said, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for any suspicious persons, vehicles or activity in the neighborhood and report it right away by calling 911.

"Help your neighbors out by watching their houses, too," Tierney said. "If you see anything out of the ordinary, don’t wait. Please call 911 immediately."