Florida Woman Arrested for Spending $2K Using HVAC Contractor’s Credit Card
Purchases included $1,507 in smoke shop transactions
THEFT AND FRAUD: Renee Lynn Companioni, 48, of Cape Coral, Florida, was arrested on charges of grand theft and identity fraud after using an HVAC company’s credit card for nearly $2,000 in transactions.
A Florida woman has been arrested after allegedly using her HVAC employer’s credit card to make unauthorized purchases at multiple locations in the Cape Coral area.
According to the Cape Coral Police Department, Renee Lynn Companioni, 48, of Cape Coral, was arrested on March 3 following an investigation into the fraudulent use of her former employer’s credit card.
She faces one count of criminal use of personal identification information and one count of grand theft, $750 or more but less than $5,000. Both are third-degree felonies.
On Dec. 7, 2025, officers were contacted to investigate potential fraud involving a Chase business credit card belonging to Elite Air Cooling in Fort Myers, Florida. The victim reported receiving an alert from his bank, and when he reviewed the transactions, he identified a Cape Coral smoke shop as one of multiple locations where the card was used.
The victim told police he had reason to believe that Companioni, one of his employees, was potentially responsible for stealing the card and using it without his permission.
Detectives learned the card was taken from the business, used repeatedly, and later returned to the office. In all, the victim said there were 14 unauthorized transactions, which included a smoke shop, nail salon, grocery store, and a restaurant.
The transactions totaled $1,951.79, according to the Cape Coral Police Department, $1,507.62 of which was made at the smoke shop between Nov. 25 and Dec. 7, 2025.
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Detectives used receipts, surveillance, and written statements from multiple businesses to determine Companioni was using the card. On Dec. 10, an employee at the victim’s business said they saw her return the card to a company desk drawer two days prior.
A police affidavit states the victim confronted Companioni about the credit card charges. According to the victim, she apologized for her actions and said she would pay him back. When asked why she did it, she reportedly said she was going through a tough time, saying her son’s medical bills were the main cause. She was going to resell the items she purchased from the smoke shop for cash. Elite Air Cooling fired her for her conduct.
On March 3, patrol officers located Companioni and arrested her on probable cause. Arrest records show her in custody as of March 10 at the Lee County Jail. A hearing is set for April 6, with bond set at $5,000.
Arrest records show this is not Companioni’s first run-in with the law. Previous arrests include fraud, larceny (both grand theft and petit theft), and probation violations.
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