Robert John Anderson

A candidate for a seat on the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District is accused of obtaining riding lawn movers from a Habitat for Humanity under false pretenses.

Robert John Anderson, 50, of 1147 Cherokee Ave., was arrested and charged on Aug. 3 with one count of larceny grand theft $300 less than $5,000, according to booking records at the Lee County Jail.

He has since been released from jail on $5,000 bond.

Three seats on the district’s board of commissioners are up in the Nov. 8 election. Seats 1, 3 and 4 are on the ballot.

Anderson is running for Seat 3 under “John Anderson.”

His opponents in the race include Alain Capucci, Al Ron Gonzalez, William E. Liedtke and Thomas Mccolloch.

The warrant for Anderson’s arrest was issued on Aug. 3 by a Lee County judge.

According to the warrant, he removed under false pretenses five riding lawn mowers given to the Habitat for Humanity, at 31 Willis Road, North Fort Myers.

It states that the Lee County Sheriff’s Office “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 did not return phone calls nor emails for comment.

On May 12, the fire district donated the mowers for Habitat to refurbish them and then donate them to clients in need.

After the donation, Anderson contacted Habitat and said the mowers “were donated in error,” the warrant states. He arrived at the store and removed five of the mowers, which were John Deere.

The mowers had an estimated value of approximately $2,500.

“Mr. Anderson is not employed by Lehigh Acres Fire Rescue and was not authorized to act on their behalf,” according to the warrant.

Nickell told LCSO investigators that former Fire Chief John Wayne had made the decision to donate the mowers to Habitat. He said they were no longer being used by the surrounding fire stations.

Nickell contacted the Habitat store and the delivery was made.

According to the warrant, the store manager was contacted by Anderson before he even knew about the donation. He said Anderson told him not to take the donation from the fire district.

Anderson reportedly added that the mowers would be collected by him, refurbished and given to needy families in Lehigh.

After the store manager accepted the donated mowers, Anderson called him and was “livid,” the warrant states. Anderson said he spoke to the fire chief and would stop by to retrieve the mowers.

Nickell told investigators that the fire district never entered into any agreement with Anderson.

During an interview with investigators, Anderson said he did not represent himself as being with the fire district and did not tell Habitat that the donation was a mistake.

He “simply asked if he could have the lawn mowers in order for him to have them refurbished and given to families in Lehigh,”?according to the warrant.

Anderson also told investigators that the store “was more than happy and willing to give the lawn mowers to him.”

Anderson added that Habitat normally does not take lawn mowers, while a store employee reported that they have received them in the past and do accept them.

Anderson claimed that Wayne “has a grudge against him for articles that he has written about the fire department in the past and does not understand what all the fuss is about because he did nothing wrong.”

Investigators also interviewed an associate of Anderson who had helped him pick up the mowers.

The man said Anderson told him that Habitat did not want the mowers and he needed help picking them up, according to the warrant. He was never informed that they would be refurbished and given to needy families in Lehigh.

As far as he was concerned, he was “going to pick up the unwanted lawn mowers in order to refurbish the ones he could and keep them for him and his family,” the warrant states.

The man later sent a personal check to the Habitat store for $100 for the “mowers and parts.”

The LCSO removed the five mowers from the man’s home and impounded them for evidence.

A clip of a fire board meeting from April was also put into evidence. On it, Anderson expressed interest in buying the district’s surplus items – including the lawn mowers – for $1.

His associate told investigators that “he would have never donated money in the form of a personal check if he was aware Anderson would surreptitiously acquire them for himself.”

The store manager estimated that Habitat would have been able to make $1,500 from the sales of the mowers and parts.

The sixth donated mower was put on the sales floor and sold.

Anderson has an arraignment scheduled on Sept. 9.