A man arrested on a felony charge after caught driving a golf cart in a roundabout got a lucky break in court and avoided serious punishment.
Bryan Arnett, 34, who at the time of his arrest was living in the Natalie Villas in the Village of Mallory Square, had been driving the golf cart at about 5:30 a.m. Aug. 5 in the roundabout at Buena Vista Boulevard and Pinellas Place when he was spotted by a Sumter County sheriff’s deputy.
Arnett told the deputy he had gotten lost and was following the directions of his GPS. He said he knew he was not allowed to drive a golf cart on the roadway. He admitted that his driver’s license had been suspended for “lots of tickets,” according to the arrest report.
“He stated he specifically moved to The Villages for work that way he could drive a golf cart that did not require a license,” the deputy wrote in the arrest report.
A check revealed Arnett’s license has been suspended since 2014. He has four convictions for driving while license suspended and has been classified as a habitual offender.
He was arrested on a felony charge of driving while license suspended.
However, an attorney retained by Arnett successfully negotiated down the charge to a less serious offense of failure to exhibit driver’s license on demand. Last week in Sumter County, Arnett pleaded no contest to the lesser charge and was assessed a fine and court costs.
