A suspected thief apparently used a lockbox key to rip off renters in The Villages.
Douglas Karst, 53, of Leesburg, is facing charges of larceny, burglary and fraud after he was tracked down this past month in connection with a 2023 theft case in the Village of Duval.
A husband and wife had been renting a home on Hollyberry Place in January 2023 and originally had entered the home by obtaining a key from a lockbox, according to an arrest warrant from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The lockbox was known to a cleaning crew and handymen, as well as Remax, which was managing the rental property. The couple went to play golf with the wife making the decision to leave her purse at the rented home.
When the couple returned home from golfing, they found that both their key fobs for their Ford Expedition were missing, along with the wife’s purse which contained numerous credit cards and gift cards. There were no signs of forced entry at the home. It was later discovered that the lockbox had been briefly accessed, with the key removed and quickly returned.
The woman later contacted the sheriff’s office to report that her debit card had been used at a McDonald’s restaurant in Leesburg.
A neighbor was interviewed by deputies and he described the Hollyberry Place home as “a short-term rental” which had “different people coming and going all of the time.” But he recalled seeing a blue Hyundai at the home and he said he thought it looked out of place.
A detective began checking surveillance from gates in The Villages as well as the McDonald’s in Leesburg. The detective zeroed in on Karst, who has a previous criminal history. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
The Missouri native was picked up by authorities in Lake County and transferred this past month to the Sumter County Detention Center. He was released Tuesday after posting $14,000 bond.