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Fire commissioner’s trial postponed until next month

By Staff | Jun 14, 2017

Robert John Anderson

The trial for a Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District commissioner has been rescheduled.

Robert John Anderson, 51, of 1147 Cherokee Ave., was arrested and charged in August for reportedly stealing riding lawn movers from a Habitat for Humanity, at 31 Willis Road, North Fort Myers.

He is facing one count of larceny grand theft $300 less than $5,000, records state.

Anderson’s trial was set to begin on June 6, but it was rolled to the following day because there was another trial under way, according to Samantha Syoen, a spokeswoman for the State Attorney’s Office.

On June 7, Anderson appeared in court and his trial was continued to July 6 at 8:30 a.m.

Anderson, who ran on the ballot as “John Anderson,” was elected to Seat 3 on the Board of Commissioners for the fire district in the Nov. 8 election. His term expires in November 2020.

On Aug. 8, a Lee County judge issued a warrant for Anderson’s arrest.

According to the warrant, detectives “discovered that the six lawn mowers were donated by the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District to the Habitat for Humanity and to be used by them only. Five of the lawn mowers were then under false pretenses, surreptitiously removed by Anderson for the sole purpose of depriving the victim (Habitat for Humanity) of the right and/or benefit of the property. At no time was Anderson given permission to or entitled to appropriate the five lawn mowers for his personal use and by removing them from the Habitat for Humanity store committed a grand theft.”

Anderson was booked at the Lee County Jail and later released on $5,000 bond.

His trial is set to take place before Lee Circuit Judge Ramiro Manalich in Courtroom 7-B.