Fort Myers woman charged with grand theft, false bill of sale

A Fort Myers woman was arrested in Cape Coral Wednesday after she allegedly tried to sell a boat and trailer at a Cape home that did not belong to her.

Diana Morgenthal, 32, was charged with one count of grand theft, trespass after warning, falsifying a bill of sale on a vehicle, and falsifying a bill of sale on a vessel.

Cape Coral Police Department officials said just before 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a home on Everest Parkway for a trespass issue.

When they arrived, police officials stated they saw Morgenthal in the side yard of the home, standing next to a boat in the backyard. Morgenthal was previously issued a trespass warning at the same home, police added.

"Officers discovered Morgenthal created a Facebook Marketplace listing for an aluminum boat and trailer for sale for $500," CCPD officials stated in a release. "Morgenthal organized a buyer to come and look at the boat. That potential 'buyer' was on the property when officers arrived. Neither the boat nor trailer belonged to Morgenthal and thus was not hers to sell. She additionally falsified a signed bill of sale, forging the owner's signature."

Police officials said officers spoke with the actual owner of the boat, who told them Morgenthal was never given permission to sell the boat or trailer, and was already trespassed from the residence on an earlier occasion.

The owner stated the value of the boat to be $600, and the trailer $600, according to police.

Morgenthal as of Thursday afternoon is still in custody at Lee County Jail, being held on a total bond of $18,000. by