Florida authorities are searching for three suspected “tomb raiders” accused of traveling across at least nine states and stealing cherished family heirlooms that relatives had left behind with their loved ones in cemeteries.

The trio “went on a tour of the eastern half of the United States,” where they targeted local cemeteries and broke into niches and mausoleums containing cremated remains, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Cole Brazee. Authorities alleged that the three suspects stole jewelry and other sentimental items that were placed alongside cremated remains.

The sheriff’s office identified the suspects as Drake Lee Milam, 33, his girlfriend, Porsche Bancroft, 32, and her mother, Angela Garrett, 52. All three are wanted on Florida warrants and could be extradited to the state if arrested.

“They’re all from the Indianapolis, Indiana, area,” Brazee said in a video statement on Aug. 12. “However, they could be anywhere on the eastern half of the United States.”

About 20 cases are under investigation in Florida, from the Orlando and Winter Park areas to the Tampa region. The sheriff’s office said it believes many more victims may not yet know they have been targeted.

Brazee alleged that the suspects also targeted cemeteries in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina and New York.

Authorities urge families to check memorial sites

Brazee said the suspects allegedly broke into cemetery niches containing urns and stole items that held deep personal significance for families.

“Typically, in these mausoleums inside of a niche, their urn is inside of it,” Brazee said in the video statement. “Their loved ones will leave like some jewelry that meant something to them in that niche with their remains.”

Authorities warned that some families may not yet realize they were victimized and encouraged people to visit the resting places of loved ones to ensure heirlooms remain intact. Anyone who discovers missing property is urged to contact local law enforcement.

The sheriff’s office also asked the public for help locating the suspects, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Central Florida Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477). The Central Florida Crimeline is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest.

“If you see them, if you know who they are, you know where they are, please call Crimeline and turn them in,” Brazee said.

Recent grave robbery case draws national attention

The allegations from Florida authorities came months after another grave robbery case drew national attention.

In January, authorities in Pennsylvania accused a man of stealing more than 100 sets of human remains from Mount Moriah Cemetery, a historic rural cemetery near Philadelphia. The suspect, identified as Jonathan Gerlach, 34, was charged with numerous offenses, including burglary, abuse of a corpse and desecration of burial places.

The charges followed months of investigation into a string of burglarized graves and mausoleums at the cemetery that authorities said occurred from November 2025 to January 2026.

Prosecutors said investigators found full or partial sets of human remains, including skulls and bones, from the suspect’s home and storage unit.

“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life in that home. It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through this, who are trying to figure out if it is in fact one of their loved ones,” Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said in a statement at the time.