2 men arrested after stealing golf cart from Brandon dealership, deputies say
BRANDON, Fla. - Two men were arrested on Monday after stealing a golf cart from a dealership in Brandon, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
Officials say 28-year-old Jarmal Lemus and 31-year-old Cleveland Perry tried to purchase a golf cart from Next Level Golf Carts using fraudulent credit cards.
Deputies say they responded to the dealership around 2 p.m.
According to the sheriff's office, Lemus and Perry used a credit card to pay for half of the golf cart's purchase, totaling $7,958.54. Authorities say they then tried to use multiple credit cards to cover the remaining balance.
Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
All the cards they tried to use were reported as fraudulent by the credit card company, according to officials.
Deputies say the two suspects said they would go to a bank to get the payment but left the scene with the golf cart and did not come back.
Law enforcement found the suspects about 15 miles away, fleeing the dealership, according to officials.
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"These suspects thought they could get away with not only using fraudulent credit cards, but brazenly stealing from this business in the middle of the day," said Sheriff Chad Chronister in a statement. "We won't stand for theft in our county. We won't tolerate this kind of behavior, and we'll keep working hard to ensure the safety of the businesses within our community."
Lemus and Perry were both charged with unauthorized use of a credit card ($300 or more) and grand theft third degree ($5,000 - $10,000).
The investigation is ongoing.