City Furniture Employee Admits To Selling Over $70,000 in Stolen Couch Batteries on eBay

by Ryan Yousefi April 8, 2025

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City Furniture Employee Admits To Selling Over $70,000 in Stolen Couch Batteries on eBay 4

Maykol Montilla {BSO}

A longtime employee of City Furniture’s corporate warehouse faces grand theft charges after admitting to stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of lithium batteries over three years and selling them online.

According to a Broward County Sheriff’s Office investigation, on April 2, deputies were called to City Furniture’s headquarters and distribution center located at 6701 Hiatus Road following a report from the company’s Area Asset Protection Manager.

Records show that deputies encountered Maykol Montilla, 34, of Davie, upon arrival. He was detained on-site after an internal investigation linked him to a pattern of missing high-value batteries used to power reclining couches.

According to the official report, City Furniture became aware of the theft after one of its vendors discovered a particular brand battery that their couches use for sale on eBay. Tracing the battery’s serial number, the vendor determined it originated from City Furniture’s inventory and contacted the company to report the listing.

An internal probe launched by City Furniture found that an eBay account under the username “ralphb1187” had sold hundreds of the stolen batteries. The products listed matched City Furniture’s stock, and the investigation revealed that the account was registered to Montilla.

When questioned by law enforcement, Montilla allegedly confessed to stealing and selling the batteries online. During a recorded interview, he stated that he had been removing the batteries from the warehouse and placing them in his backpack before shipping them out as eBay orders came in.

The arrest report indicates that Montilla said proceeds from the sales—approximately $200 per battery—were estimated to total over $73,000.

The company reported that the thefts ceased after March 11, when all remaining batteries were consolidated into a monitored area. Days later, the eBay account associated with the thefts stopped listing the batteries for sale.

Montill was arrested and transported to the Broward County Main Jail, where he was released after posting a $15,000 bond.

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Ryan Yousefi

Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.