An unlicensed driver from Mexico was arrested after being stopped without a license in a vehicle with a counterfeit temporary tag.
A deputy observed 25-year-old Angel de Jesus Jaimez Perez driving a black Chevy Malibu with a temporary tag southbound in Webster around 3:35 p.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy’s attention was drawn to the tag due to it being larger than a standard-issue temporary plate. A record check revealed the vehicle’s registration had expired on July 25, 2009. Due to this, he conducted a traffic stop at State Road 471 and County Road 776, the report said.
When asked for a driver’s license, Jaimez Perez handed over a Mexican ID card. He did not have a license and instead presented a picture of a Mexican driver’s license on his phone. The deputy could not determine if the license in the photo was legitimate, the report said.
Dispatch subsequently ran Jaimez Perez through all 50 states, verifying he did not have a license. A further check of the VIN on the license plate returned a black 2004 Saturn. The tag assigned to the Chevy Malibu had a cancelled status, the report said.
Jaimez Perez was arrested on charges of operate motor vehicle without valid license (second conviction), possession of counterfeited license plate and fail to register motor vehicle. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $3,500 bond.