The mother of a suspect in the theft of a golf cart from the Southside Pool revealed to police that her son had a different accomplice in the incident.
Michael Williams, 54, and Jessie Lee Curtis, 36, were arrested in March in the theft of the rented golf cart which snowbirds had taken to the swimming pool on the Historic Side of The Villages. You can read about their arrest HERE
But Williams’ mother later told a detective with the Lady Lake Police Department that her son had told her that Curtis was not with him when the golf cart was stolen. Williams, who lives on East Schwartz Boulevard on the Historic Side of The Villages, had been accompanied by 37-year-old Joseph DeCarlo.
It was DeCarlo who persuaded Williams to tell police that it was Curtis who had been with him on the day of the golf cart theft. The golf cart was later sold for $1,000 to someone who was told that the owner had wanted to get rid of the golf cart due to an impending divorce. The golf cart was transported and sold to a couple in Elijah, Ga., according to an incident report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
Williams later admitted to police he had lied about Curtis’ involvement in the incident.
Curtis remains a suspect in the theft of golf carts from the parking garage at Freedom Pointe. He is facing charges in Sumter County in those cases. He admitted to taking those golf carts and said a drug habit had fueled his need for quick cash. However, Curtis denied being involved in the theft of the golf cart at the Southside Pool.
On April 6, DeCarlo was arrested by Marion County sheriff’s deputies on a Lake County warrant charging him with the theft of the golf cart.
On April 8, the stolen golf cart was returned to its owner after being shipped back from Elijah, Ga.
The Lake County case against Curtis has been dropped.