A man accused of stealing from Kmart for a few days after buying a $ 8 million private island



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A Florida man was arrested Saturday for shoplifting on a Kmart, just days after buying a multi-million dollar private island off Key West.

Andrew Lippi, 59, was accused of stealing household items in a Kmart in Key West for about $ 300. The police claimed to have purchased various items between March 30 and April 4, replacing them with cheaper items and returning them for a refund.

Lippi made the headlines last week when he bought Thompson Island, a privately-owned estate owned by philanthropist and developer Edward B. Knight, for $ 8 million, according to ABC Miami's WPLG.

Lippi also owns a 12-bedroom resort in Key West that MTV used to film a season of "The Real World" in 2006. This property rents approximately $ 1,800 per night on Airbnb, reported WPLG .

Andrew Lippi, 59, was charged with stealing about $ 300 worth of household goods from a Kmart located in Key West, Florida.(Monroe County Sheriff's Office) Andrew Lippi, 59, was charged with stealing about $ 300 worth of household goods from a Kmart located in Key West, Florida.

Lippi is accused of stealing several items, including LED bulbs and a coffee maker in Hamilton Beach at $ 55, which he would have "replaced by a much older coffee maker" and returned for a full refund, according to Lippi. the Key West Police Department.

Police said Lippi had also bought a $ 150 Keurig coffee machine on March 30, returned it and received a full refund a day later. Kmart employees informed the loss prevention agent at the store after realizing that the coffee box contained a basketball, police said.

Lippi denied stealing the items, according to a police report.

"Lippi said that he had not changed objects before rendering them," wrote the officer who proceeded to arrest him. "I asked Lippi if the Keurig coffee machine had been replaced by a basketball and he stated that the clerk should have realized that there was no machine in it." coffee seen the weight of the box.

"I asked Lippi about the light bulbs and he said that he had made them because he had paid too much and did not know how they had been swapped."

ABC News was unable to contact Lippi late Monday night for comments, but he told the Miami Herald that the situation "is related to a trade dispute".

"It's very complicated and I prefer not to go in," Lippi told The Herald in a phone interview. "I will say this, that the Key West Police and the Monroe County Sheriff's Department have acted in a wonderful way.Some of the most distinguished people I have dealt with are the ones who have been kind all along of the process. "

Lippi was arrested for robbery and released the next day. The prison records show that he did not give bail for his release. He is scheduled to appear in court for an appearance on April 18.

ABC Stein & Ben Stein contributed to this report.

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