Worker accused of stealing, pawning jewelry from home
A Cape Coral man has been accused of stealing jewelry from a home and pawning it.
Samuel Louis McKee, 25, of 1326 S.E. 20th St., was arrested and charged Wednesday with one count each of larceny theft $300 or more but less than $5,000, deal in stolen property and fraud false owner information pawned items $300 or more.
He remained in custody at the Lee County Jail on no bond Friday.
According to police, a man hired a painting company to do work at his home on March 7. Workers from the company was inside of his residence working from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. At 5 p.m., the man found that two gold bracelets were missing from a nightstand in his master bedroom, where the painters had been working.
Each of the bracelets had an estimated value of $1,000.
The man called the owner of the company and reported the incident. The owner reportedly told the man that McKee had been working in the master bedroom. On March 14, the man filed a report with the Cape Coral police.
Detectives investigated the case and learned that McKee had pawned two gold bracelets at the Cash to Gold on Del Prado Boulevard South on March 7, according to police. McKee received $1,154.77 in total for the bracelets.
Detectives obtained surveillance video of the transaction and McKee was identified as the seller., officials said. The paperwork signed by the seller, who also provided a thumbprint, was seized. The prints on the form reportedly matched McKee’s prints.
According to police, McKee admitted during questioning that he stole the jewelry and sold it to pay bills. He taken into custody and booked at the jail.
McKee is scheduled to be in court on May 2.