Visits: 11
A Florida man who spent $8 million purchasing an island earlier this month is now being accused of stealing $300 of goods from Kmart a week later.
Officers for the Key West Police Department arrested 59-year-old Andrew Lippi on Saturday on a felony charge of grand theft of $300 to under $5,000.
Authorities said between March 30 and April 5, Lippi stole $300.59 worth of goods from a local Kmart, including a Keurig coffeemaker, a Hamilton Beach coffeemaker, eight light bulbs and a bed skirt, according to the Miami Herald.
Police said Lippi bought the items but then allegedly returned the original boxes with other things packed inside.
For instance, one box that was supposed to hold a $165 Keurig coffeemaker had a basketball inside, while a used coffee maker replaced a new Hamilton Beach model in another box, according to The Smoking Gun.
Lippi denied stealing the items, according to a police report obtained by KGO TV.
“I asked Lippi about the Keurig coffee machine being replaced by a basketball, and he stated the clerk should have realized there was no coffee machine by the weight of the box,” the arresting officer wrote in the report. “I asked Lippi about the light bulbs, and he stated he returned the light bulbs because he paid too much money for them and did not know how they were switched.”
Lippi denied the allegations to the Miami Herald, and blamed the incident on a “commercial dispute.”
He added: “It’s very complicated and I’d rather not get into it.”
Lippi was released without bond and is due to appear in court on April 18.
The arrest came a week after Lippi purchased Thompson Island off Key West for $8 million.
“I think we’ll be living in it for awhile,” Lippi said, according to Florida Keys News.
Lippi also owns the “Real World” resort compound used for the 17th season of the MTV series.
