Florida woman accused of squatting in home near The Villages, then selling the owner's appliances
Authorities arrested a woman at a home near The Villages after the homeowner told deputies the woman had been staying there without permission and sold a washer and dryer from the residence, according to an arrest affidavit.
Candice Meshelle Mackey, 40, was charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property after investigators said a neighbor told them he bought the washer-and-dryer set from her for $150 and another witness identified the appliances as ones previously kept inside the home.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Marion County Sheriff's Department, the homeowner, identified as Denise Lombardi, told police the appliance came with the home and belonged to the residence.
She also claimed that Mackey was a squatter and had repeatedly been told to leave but continued to stay at the home. The single family home in Summerfield is near The Villages, a sprawling housing community in Central Florida.
The owner told police she had gone to the home a couple of months ago and realized Mackey had been squatting there, according to the affidavit.
READ THE AFFIDAVIT – MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE
Lombardi's nephew, identified as James, who was paying rent at the home, invited Mackey to stay with him without permission.
Despite being ordered from the house in December, she still had not left and was served a notice to vacate by March 31.
A neighbor first alerted the homeowner after he bought a Frigidaire washer and dryer that Mackey was selling for $150.
The buyer later told law enforcement that his washer and dryer stopped working. So, when he noticed Mackey moving out, he bought what he thought was hers for $150. Once he found out the set did not belong to her, he tried to return it and get his money back without success, the report said.
Mackey told deputies she had purchased the appliances after being released from jail, but investigators said she gave conflicting accounts of when she bought them and could not provide proof they were hers.
She was arrested on charges of grand theft with a property value of $750 to $5,000 and dealing in stolen property. She was booked in the Marion County Jail and released after posting $5,000 bond.