A Coleman man was arrested after giving false information when he was stopped while driving without a license.
An officer observed a silver Toyota utility vehicle, driven by 32-year-old Christopher Sanders, turning onto County Road 468 around 6:05 p.m. Friday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. Through several previous encounters, the officer knew the vehicle’s temporary tag expired on June 5.
As the officer followed behind the vehicle, it abruptly turned onto Griffin Road without using the turn lane. The officer subsequently stopped it to speak with Sanders and the female passenger. He then asked Sanders for his driver’s license, the report said.
Sanders advised that he did not have his license, instead giving him a fake name and date of birth. A search using this information yielded nothing, so the officer asked for his Social Security number. Sanders claimed not to know it, the report said.
The officer believed he was giving false information, at which point he asked Sanders to step out of the vehicle. He complied and was placed in handcuffs. He was again asked for his information, to which he gave the same name but changed the birth year, the report said.
At that point, the officer scanned Sanders’ fingerprints. This revealed his true identity and that he had never been issued a driver’s license, the report said.
Sanders was arrested on charges of false name to law enforcement officer and no driver’s license (never had one). He was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $1,500 bond.