A Lady Lake man found himself behind bars Monday night after telling a Marion County sheriff’s deputy that the stolen motorcycle he was working on belonged to a friend.
The deputy was on patrol in Umatilla when he spotted a BMW parked in a garage at 15595 SE 200th Avenue. Due to an increase of vehicle thefts in the area, he conducted a search of the license tag and it came back registered to a white 2001 Mercedes-Benz, a sheriff’s office report states.
The deputy made contact with 41-year-old Steven Dominic Peachey, who said the car belonged to him. The deputy also noticed a motorcycle with all the plastic parts removed from it, which the report noted is a common practice if a motorcycle is stolen.
Peachey told the deputy that the motorcycle, a 2016 Suzuki GSXR-750, belonged to a friend, but he couldn’t provide a name. The deputy observed a Florida license tag on the back of the motorcycle, which came back belonging to Peachey, the report says.
A search of the motorcycle’s VIN number showed that it had been reported stolen in Lake County. Peachey said a nearby book bag, sunglasses, phone, vape and helmet belonged to him, but he denied “any involvement” with the motorcycle.
When asked why a license tag belonging to him was on the motorcycle, he said “he was just helping his friend out,” the report says.
Peachey, who listed his address as 40105 Palm St. in Lady Lake, was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with grand theft auto. He was released Tuesday morning and his next court date hasn’t yet been set, jail records show.
