Cape Coral man charged with retail theft
A Cape Coral man has been arrested for what local police reported as a string of thefts over the last four months.
Michael Nappa, 69, has been charged with retail theft, a third-degree felony.
According to Cape Coral Police Department officials, police were called to Lowe’s Home Improvement on Northeast Pine Island Road on Monday in reference to an in-progress theft.
Police officials state when officers met with the store’s loss prevention team, they had detained Nappa, who was identified by his Florida driver’s license and associated with a white Chevrolet Colorado truck.
CCPD officials stated its investigation revealed that Nappa allegedly removed the barcode from a Gorilla Double‑Sided Tape package ($7.98) and placed it over the barcode of a Heavy‑Duty Scotch 4‑count roll ($17.98).
“Mr. Nappa then proceeded through self‑checkout, scanned the lower‑priced barcode, passed all points of sale, and was detained by store personnel,” a CCPD release stated. “Officers later located the ripped Gorilla Tape barcode in Mr. Nappa’s pocket, which matched the discarded packaging and scanned as Gorilla Tape in the store system.”
While the total loss for this incident was $10, police officials stated that Lowe’s loss prevention said Nappa was a “known repeat offender” and documented a total of 10 prior retail theft incidents at two Lowe’s locations in Cape Coral. CCPD officials state these incidents occurred between Nov. 13, 2025, and Feb. 9, 2026, within a 120‑day period, and involved 10 or more items with a combined total reported loss of $958.73.
“In each reported incident, the suspect arrived and departed in the same white Chevrolet Colorado,” CCPD’s release continues to state. “According to the reports provided, the prior incidents followed a similar pattern in which the suspect allegedly altered or misused barcodes at self‑checkout to pay a lower price than the full retail value of higher‑priced merchandise, including decking materials, paper products, trailer lighting, screen mesh and hardware items.”
Based on the evidence and documentation, CCPD officials stated that probable cause was established for the arrest of Nappa for retail theft under Florida Statute 812.015, a third‑degree felony, for allegedly taking possession of merchandise from a merchant, altering or removing labels or price information and committing thefts from more than one location within a 120‑day period with an aggregated value exceeding $750 and involving ten or more items.
As of Tuesday morning, Nappa had been released from Lee County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com