Woman found in Pennsylvania after allegedly stealing truck from Cecil Clark Chevrolet

A Eustis woman was arrested for theft in Pennsylvania after allegedly stealing a truck from Cecil Clark Chevrolet.

Melissa Sue Myers, 58, was brought into Lake County Jail on Thursday afternoon after being extradited from Pennsylvania on a Lake County warrant for the events of last year, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. 

On the evening of Nov. 30, 2023, an officer with the Leesburg Police Department responded to Cecil Clark Chevrolet regarding a vehicle theft, according to an affidavit of probable cause out of Lake County. The caller stated that a customer, later identified as Myers, failed to return a vehicle. 

Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the business manager who stated that on Nov. 20, 2023, Myers came in to purchase a Chevrolet Trax. She told the manager that she was waiting for a money transfer out of a money market account and would return the next day to pay for the vehicle. The dealership gave her the vehicle that day, and Myers signed a promissory note to return on Nov. 21, 2023, to pay in full for the vehicle, the affidavit said. 

Myers did not return the following day, and when the dealership contacted her about it, she stated the money had yet to be transferred and would need a few more days. The manager thus gave her until Nov. 30, 2023, to pay for the vehicle, which she still failed to do. As a result, the manager contacted law enforcement and handed over a copy of the promissory note and the vehicle buyer’s order, the affidavit said. 

The vehicle was described as a yellow 2024 Chevrolet Trax with a temporary registration. It was equipped with OnStar, an emergency communication service, who advised that it would have to be entered as stolen before they could give officers its location. At the time, the incident required further investigation before the vehicle could be considered stolen, the affidavit said. 

On Dec. 1, 2023, a detective with LPD was assigned to the case. He reviewed the paperwork given by the dealership, noticing that Myers agreed to pay $34,795.54 by Nov. 21, 2023. The note also had a copy of her driver’s license, the affidavit said. 

On Dec. 5, 2023, the detective spoke with the Cecil Clark business owner about the case over the phone. He stated that he tried contacting Myers multiple times with no results. He tried meeting at her residence but was told she was evicted from there. Still, the vehicle remained titled to the dealership since Myers never made the payment for it, the affidavit said. 

The detective tried calling Myers with the number she gave the dealership multiple times but got no answer, leading to him calling OnStar instead for the vehicle’s location. The operator advised that it was at 125 Arsenal Road in York, Pennsylvania. Due to Myers taking the vehicle out of state and showing no intent to pay for it, the vehicle was entered as stolen, the affidavit said. 

The operator advised that she would turn off the ignition to the vehicle and report its location to local law enforcement. Around 7:42 p.m. that night, an officer was notified that a stolen vehicle at 125 Arsenal Road in Pennsylvania had been recovered by the Northern York County Regional Police Department. The vehicle was towed and found to have the tags and keys still with it, the affidavit said. 

The detective was informed by the communications center of the LPD that the arresting officer in Pennsylvania wanted to talk about the case, so they spoke over the phone. The officer was asked to give Myers the detective’s contact information if she had any questions, to which he advised he would pass it along, the affidavit said. 

The detective then got a phone call from Myers who advised that she was going to make a payment on the vehicle, but the bank would only let her take out $25,000 at a time. She stated her mother passed away while living in Pennsylvania, and she received a settlement from her mother’s estate. She left to finish the rest of the paperwork for the settlement, the affidavit said. 

When questioned about her ceasing contact with the dealership. Myers’ response was that her cell phone only worked with Wi-Fi. The detective told her that he needed proof that she had the funds to pay for the vehicle. He gave her his contact information and told her to send a bank statement with her information that showed the funds she received from her mother’s estate. Myers stated she would provide the documents the following day, the affidavit said. 

On Dec. 6, 2023, the detective got another call from Myers who advised that she needed a fax number to send the documentation. She stated that her cell phone did not work correctly and that she would prefer text messages. The detective texted her the information she requested from his work cell phone, the affidavit said. 

Myers then sent a picture of a bank account that only showed it was a GO2bank Visa credit card with a $100,000 monthly maintenance fee. It did not have any identifying information that proved it belonged to her, the affidavit said. 

The detective explained that he would need documentation showing that she was an account holder. Myers responded by saying she would send the documents from the bank with the proof of funds the next day. The detective advised that if she opened her bank app on her phone, she could email it to him from there, the affidavit said. 

Myers reiterated that she could not since her phone only works with Wi-Fi even though their conversation was being done through text. The detective queried the address of the motel where the vehicle was located and where Myers was staying, noticing there was a Taco Bell and a Hardee’s nearby. He told her that the hotel and both restaurants had free Wi-Fi. She stated she tried them, but her phone still would not work, the affidavit said. 

On Dec. 7, 2023, the detective received a text from Myers advising she would send the documents that day. She stated she was still waiting on them from her bank. He then got an email from her containing a picture from the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, the affidavit said. 

The pictures stated that Myers was going to receive a payout of $8,900,000 from the Office of the Director in Washington, DC. After reviewing the picture, the detective performed an online search. He found multiple similar pictures that were available to download and alter, the affidavit said. 

The detective contacted Myers over the phone and explained to her that the picture was fraudulent. However, she stated that she was just waiting for the money to be deposited into her account. She then emailed another picture of different bank accounts, but again, it did not have any identifying information proving that she was the owner, the affidavit said. 

The affidavit noted that none of the three images Myers provided matched her statement of receiving a settlement from her mother’s passing. They were all different amounts, and she did not provide documents of the settlement. 

The Pennsylvania native was thus served a warrant at Lake County Detention Center after being extradited by LCSO. She was charged with theft of a motor vehicle with bond set at $2,000.