Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focusByron Donalds accused of voter fraud
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focus The parade will begin at Fort Myers High School, travel up U.S. Highway 41, and conclude in downtown Fort Myers.
Byron Donalds accused of voter fraud U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds is being accused of voter fraud. A fellow lawmaker on Capitol Hill is making the allegations.
NAPLES FWC seeks Naples community’s help for derelict boat removal The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is searching for derelict boats in Southwest Florida and is asking for community assistance.
FORT MYERS Red dye ban and Valentine’s Day Red is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, seen in everything from roses to candy. However, some red sweets may not be as appealing this year due to a recent ban on a common dye linked to cancer risks.
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Eligible taxpayers in Florida file for free with IRS Direct File The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers in Florida they can file their taxes for free with the agency using IRS Direct File.
TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis signs sweeping immigration bills after a feud with Florida Republicans Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a package of sweeping immigration bills.
Registration for Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp to open Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp has announced that registration will open to the public in two weeks.
Collier Sheriff speaks on high-tech tools stopping criminals before they act According to Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Southwest Florida is seen as an easy target for criminals; however, law enforcement has begun to incorporate cutting-edge technology to prevent future crimes from happening.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral to host two German Culture Biergarten The German American Social Club of Cape Coral will host the first of two Biergarten in the Bavarian Garden to celebrate its German heritage.
Charlotte County killer James Ford executed A convicted killer on death row since 1999 is scheduled to be executed tonight for the murder of a couple in Charlotte County.
NORTH PORT Citywide burn ban in effect for North Port The North Port Fire Rescue has enacted a citywide outdoor burn ban due to extreme drought conditions and an increased wildfire threat.
cape coral Minor hospitalized with gunshot wound; 2 people in custody The Cape Coral Police Department is actively investigating a scene located on Skyline Boulevard.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers gears up for Edison Festival of Light with safety in focus The parade will begin at Fort Myers High School, travel up U.S. Highway 41, and conclude in downtown Fort Myers.
Byron Donalds accused of voter fraud U.S. Congressman Byron Donalds is being accused of voter fraud. A fellow lawmaker on Capitol Hill is making the allegations.
NAPLES FWC seeks Naples community’s help for derelict boat removal The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is searching for derelict boats in Southwest Florida and is asking for community assistance.
FORT MYERS Red dye ban and Valentine’s Day Red is synonymous with Valentine’s Day, seen in everything from roses to candy. However, some red sweets may not be as appealing this year due to a recent ban on a common dye linked to cancer risks.
FORT MYERS Savannah Bananas at JetBlue Park this weekend Are you heading out to watch the Savannah Bananas this weekend? This is what you need to know.
Punta Gorda Historic District home set for demolition, rebuild When builder T.J. Thornberry was hired by clients to demolish and build two new homes on their Chasteen Street properties within the Punta Gorda Historic District, little did he realize he would be embarking on an odyssey laden with roadblocks lasting nearly three months.
PORT CHARLOTTE Rays begin Spring Training ahead of season away from home The Charlotte Sports Park is home to the Tampa Bay Rays for the next six weeks for, but after that they don’t actually get to go home.
Eligible taxpayers in Florida file for free with IRS Direct File The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers in Florida they can file their taxes for free with the agency using IRS Direct File.
TALLAHASSEE (AP) DeSantis signs sweeping immigration bills after a feud with Florida Republicans Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a package of sweeping immigration bills.
Registration for Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp to open Lee County Parks and Recreation Summer Camp has announced that registration will open to the public in two weeks.
Collier Sheriff speaks on high-tech tools stopping criminals before they act According to Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, Southwest Florida is seen as an easy target for criminals; however, law enforcement has begun to incorporate cutting-edge technology to prevent future crimes from happening.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral to host two German Culture Biergarten The German American Social Club of Cape Coral will host the first of two Biergarten in the Bavarian Garden to celebrate its German heritage.
Charlotte County killer James Ford executed A convicted killer on death row since 1999 is scheduled to be executed tonight for the murder of a couple in Charlotte County.
NORTH PORT Citywide burn ban in effect for North Port The North Port Fire Rescue has enacted a citywide outdoor burn ban due to extreme drought conditions and an increased wildfire threat.
cape coral Minor hospitalized with gunshot wound; 2 people in custody The Cape Coral Police Department is actively investigating a scene located on Skyline Boulevard.
Gift cards are a popular choice for many, but they can also be a target for fraud. Two men are now behind bars after the Naples Police Department said they participated in a larger scheme involving these cards. On Wednesday, a detective from the NPD observed two men acting suspiciously at a Walgreens. They were later identified as Kirils Gula, 36, and Maksims Slapins, 26. The two were seen near the gift card rack, seemingly trying to conceal something. After leaving the store, NPD said they drove to a nearby Publix, where they parked in a low-visibility parking spot before entering and exiting without making any purchases. CREDIT: Naples Police Department The detective followed them as they went to another Walgreens, where they again entered and exited the store without buying anything. The detective noted that the vehicle’s tag had expired and conducted a traffic stop. When Gula was asked for identification, he initially claimed not to have any, stating he had been in the United States for 30 days and hadn’t yet obtained a driver’s license. However, it was later determined that he had been in the U.S. for four months. Gula provided a Latvian passport, and the detective asked permission to search the vehicle, which Gula consented to. During the search, the detective discovered multiple gift cards in the center console and receipts showing they were purchased with other debit cards. A cooler bag containing 176 gift cards, valued at approximately $15,000, was also found in the vehicle. Each gift card was labeled with an address indicating where it had been stolen from. CREDIT: Naples Police Department Gula was arrested for driving without a license, and Slapins was detained. Gula and Slapins later confessed to their involvement in a larger fraud scheme. Gula explained that he had been instructed to steal gift cards from stores all over Florida, from Miami to Tampa and even Jacksonville. The stolen cards were to be used in a scheme where fraudulent barcodes would be placed on them. The cards would then be returned to the stores they were initially stolen from and placed on the racks. Once purchased, the thieves would use the 16-digit numbers and fraudulent barcodes to quickly drain the funds. “We’re certainly not new to fraud and fraudsters attempting to take advantage of people in our area,” Lieutenant Bryan McGinn, the PIO of NPD. If or when unsuspecting customers purchased and activated the tampered cards, the funds for the gift card would be redirected to the crime syndicate’s bank account instead. When asked how to protect oneself, Naples Police advised checking for signs of tampering with the packaging. “The biggest way here to thwart these kinds of efforts is just checking for any signs of tampering with the packaging,” Lieutenant McGinn said. “There’s peel stickers, scratch stickers. There’s packaging that has to be manipulated in some way in order for either to get the card out and, you know, keep those numbers, or to switch out a card in some way, shape, or form, put a fraudulent card in there.” The two were arrested and charged with scheme to defraud and conspiracy to commit fraud, with Gula facing an additional charge for driving without a license.