A habitual offender was arrested after he was spotted at Wawa on U.S. Hwy. 441 in Lady Lake.
John Anthony Vilardo, 50, of Ocala, was in a blue Chrysler van shortly before 11 p.m. Wednesday when a check of the vehicle’s license plate revealed the registered owner did not possess a valid driver’s license, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
During a traffic stop, Vilardo claimed he did not know his license had been suspended and said he had recently paid $300 to get his license reinstated. The deputy discovered that Vilardo had five previous convictions for driving while license suspended, including three in Marion County and one in Sumter County. The West Palm Beach native has been classified as a habitual offender.
Vilardo, who was arrested in 2016 when he was residing in the Village of Glenbrook, was taken into custody on a felony charge of driving while license suspended. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $2,000 bond.
