A Bushnell man gave a false name to an officer after being pulled over in Belleview for having a phony license tag on his vehicle.
Theodore James Gough, 44, was charged with driving with a suspended or revoked license (third or subsequent offense), giving a false name to law enforcement and not having a valid motor vehicle registration.
Gough was behind the wheel of a green SUV that was stopped by a Belleview Police officer recently along the 5300 block of SE Abshire Boulevard after a computer check revealed the tag was not registered to a vehicle. Told why he was pulled over, Gough said he just bought the vehicle a couple days ago and the tag was on it when he bought it. He said he has only made one payment on it and hadn’t registered it yet, according to the police report.
Gough gave the officer a handwritten bill of sale for the vehicle and said he didn’t have his license or proof of insurance with him. Asked if he had a valid driver’s license, Gough said he did and gave his name as James C. Gough with a date of birth in September 1999. A computer search came back with no results, the report said.
Gough then provided a birthdate in August 1999 and a computer search came back with driver’s information and a photo that looked much younger than the man who was pulled over. The officer looked over the bill of sale for the vehicle and the name of the buyer was listed as “Ted Gough.” A search of the Marion County inmate database returned multiple entries for Theodore Gough that matched the man in custody, according to the report.
The officer ran Theodore Gough’s driver’s license and found out it has been suspended since January 1995 and he has nine prior driving while suspended convictions. Gough also has a current suspension for fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement. A vehicle identification number (VIN) check on the SUV confirmed it was not registered, the report said.
After the officer told Gough the information he provided did not match his appearance, he admitted he was Theodore Gough and he gave false information because he didn’t have a driver’s license, according to the report.
Gough is being held in the Marion County Jail on $8,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on Dec. 22.