A 44-year-old Marion County man was arrested on theft charges after he allegedly sold a stolen iPhone at an ecoATM kiosk located inside a local Walmart.
On Friday, September 20, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office corporal spoke with a female victim who advised that her iPhone had been stolen from the Circle K gas station located at 7676 N U.S. Highway 441 in Ocala, according to the arrest report.
The victim stated that at around 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 19, she had accidentally left her phone on the counter near the lottery machine. The report stated that when she discovered the phone was missing, she returned to the convenience store and was unable to find it.
According to the victim’s statement, she called her phone several times, and an unknown individual answered the calls. However, that person remained silent.
The victim told the corporal that she was able to use the “Find My iPhone” application on another device to pinpoint the location of her phone. The report stated that the last known location of the victim’s phone was determined to be just inside one of the entrances of the Walmart located at 17961 S U.S. Highway 441 in Summerfield.
An MCSO deputy responded to the Walmart in Summerfield and found the victim’s phone inside an ecoATM located in the store. According to the report, a man identified as Reddick resident Robert Lynn Mitchell had sold the iPhone to the company operating the kiosk.
In the report, the corporal noted that Mitchell provided his Florida driver’s license to the company, and he filled out paperwork claiming that he had owned the iPhone since “September of 2023.” After providing his thumbprint and signing the paperwork, he sold the phone to the company for $65, according to the report.
Mitchell was located by law enforcement on Friday, September 27, and he was placed under arrest and transported to Marion County Jail. He is currently being held at the jail on a $20,000 bond, and he is facing the following charges: grand theft over $300 but less than $5,000 and dealing in stolen property.
On Tuesday, October 29, Mitchell is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m., according to jail records.