FORT MYERS, Fla. (BRAIN) — A man with a lengthy criminal past was sentenced to six years in prison after being arrested for stealing a bike from a Lee County retailer and selling it to a pawn shop.
Lorenzo Gene Dukes, 41, of Fort Myers was found guilty Aug. 3 after a one-day trial for dealing in stolen property and false verification of ownership to a pawnbroker. Judge Nicholas Thompson sentenced Dukes following the verdict.
A spokesperson for the State's Attorney Office 20th Judicial Circuit said Dukes' prior history of theft and drug offenses contributed to the sentence length.
In 2019, Dukes went into a Lee County shop and stole the bike, valued at $3,000 and belonging to an employee, from the showroom floor. Because the victim wanted confidentiality — under Florida's Marsy's Law — the identity of the shop and bike owner was not released nor listed in the arrest report, the State's Attorney Office spokesperson said.
The theft was recorded on surveillance video. The Lee County Sheriff's Office later found that the Dukes sold the bike to a pawn shop for $500. Dukes was identified and arrested on Aug. 13, 2019.
