Oklahoma suspect allegedly solicited $30K from Hurricane Ian victim, fled Florida: police

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An Oklahoma man was arrested after allegedly stealing $30,000 from a Florida homeowner while he posed as a licensed contractor, police say.

Michael Shannon Key was charged with unlicensed contracting during a state of emergency and grand theft. He is accused of stealing money from at least one resident of Fort Myers, Florida, after Hurricane Ian last year.

Fort Myers Police Department says that Key solicited mold removal services to local residents without proper state licensing. The suspect arrived in the city shortly after the hurricane.

Key also allegedly fled to his home state after he was given a huge payment.

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Michael Shannon Key was charged with unlicensed contracting during a state of emergency and grand theft.  (Fort Myers Police Department)

“Key took a thirty-thousand-dollar payment from at least one resident of Fort Myers to fix their hurricane-flood-damaged home, then fled the state to his hometown [sic] of Oklahoma,” Fort Myers Police Department said in a statement.

“Key has a record of unlicensed contracting, fraud, and embezzlement,” police added.

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Fort Myers Beach in Florida sustains floodwaters from Hurricane Idalia as the storm makes its way up the Gulf of Mexico and prepares to make landfall in Florida’s northern peninsula, Aug. 29, 2023. (Dane Owens)

Key was arrested and booked into Tulsa County Jail. He will eventually be extradited to Lee County, Florida.

Police are searching for anyone who may have been victimized by Key or who have paid him for a contracted service. Authorities ask anyone with relevant information to call them at 239-321-7700.

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Fort Meyers Police Department is actively investigating the incident. (Fort Meyers Police Department)

Fort Meyers Police Department is actively investigating the incident. No other details are available at this time.