An Ocala man was arrested on a felony grand theft charge after he reportedly stole more than $1,200 worth of tools from a local screen repair company following his termination.
Back in late April, 45-year-old Steven Lance Kennedy was fired from A+ Screens LLC. Immediately after his termination, Kennedy was ordered to return his work truck and trailer to the business, according to the arrest report.
Instead of returning the equipment fully stocked, Kennedy allegedly drove the company truck to his apartment, unloaded numerous tools, and then had a coworker return the vehicle.
Company officials quickly realized the tools were missing because they had receipts from a company credit card, which had reportedly been in Kennedy’s possession.
When an Ocala Police Department officer contacted Kennedy by phone, he allegedly became aggravated, stating, “I can’t believe they called the cops.”
While speaking with the officer, Kennedy reportedly admitted to taking multiple tools from his former employer, claiming that he was under the impression he could keep the tools he had purchased with the company card since he had worked there for over six years.
An OPD officer and a representative arranged a time to meet Kennedy at his apartment to collect the stolen items. Upon arrival, the officer and representative reportedly observed that several DeWalt batteries, chargers, drills, and other tools had been left outside Kennedy’s front door, according to the report.
Police noted that the recovered items were valued at $1,209.18.
On Thursday, May 28, Kennedy was placed under arrest, booked into Marion County Jail, and released the following day after posting bond. He is being charged with grand theft (over $750 but less than $5,000).
A court date for Kennedy has not yet been scheduled, according to jail records.