A 21-year-old Silver Springs man without a valid driver’s license was arrested after he was spotted driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen.
On Saturday, June 25, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a maroon Dodge pickup truck that was traveling near the 7000 block of E Highway 326. The deputy conducted a computer search of the vehicle’s license plate and discovered that it had been reported stolen out of Marion County.
The deputy initiated a traffic stop around the 8000 block of E Highway 40, and the pickup truck pulled over onto the shoulder. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was identified as Larry Robert Riley.
According to the MCSO report, Riley admitted that he did not possess a valid driver’s license. When asked about the pickup truck, he told the deputy that he did not steal the vehicle. He claimed that a friend named Jesse “gave it to him” so he could take some items to the dump.
The deputy inquired about this friend, and Riley advised that he would be unable to take the deputy to see Jesse. The MCSO report indicated that the deputy allowed for Riley to speak with another friend over the phone, and Riley was overheard saying, “They caught me driving the truck.”
Riley was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $2,500 bond. He is facing a felony charge for grand theft of a motor vehicle along with a misdemeanor charge for operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.
A court date has been scheduled on Tuesday, July 26 at 9 a.m., according to jail records.