A Fruitland Park woman sought for using an inmate’s name to obtain a driver’s license was arrested on a warrant Thursday night in Leesburg.
Riki Dawn Mitchell, 35, was charged with criminal use of personal identification and uttering a forged instrument after being arrested by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for an incident that occurred on May 18, according to an affidavit of probable cause out of Lake County.
On that day at about 3 p.m., the branch manager of the Lake County Tax Collectors Office, located at 1720 Citrus Boulevard, contacted the LSCO. She witnessed Mitchell enter the office and approach Station 11, where she advised the clerk that she wished to obtain a new driver’s license. She claimed to have lost her previous one, the affidavit said.
Mitchell, who was arrested last year in connection with a check stolen from Brick and Barrel, provided a name to the clerk, the affidavit said. However, upon checking previous driver’s license photos of the person Mitchell was claiming to be, the clerk contacted the branch manager and reported that she believed this was a fraudulent transaction.
Mitchell was then called to Station 1 in the office to speak with the branch manager, who reviewed the photos and compared them to Mitchell, the affidavit said. The manager also concluded that Mitchell was not who she claimed to be.
Despite this, Mitchell was able to provide the name, date of birth, Social Security number and an envelope from “GO2 Bank” she claimed was proof of her current address as the woman whose identity she was trying to use. She also signed with that name on the FLHSMV Application for Driver License/ID and the FLHSMV Certification of Address, the affidavit said.
Law enforcement officials observed Mitchell during her visit and saw several of her tattoos and a large scar on the top of her forehead, the affidavit said. Upon using these markings to compare previous booking photos and one taken by the manager, Mitchell’s true identity was confirmed.
It was also discovered that the person Mitchell was claiming to be had been incarcerated in the Lake County Jail since April 23. An interview with her at the jail on May 30 revealed that she did not know Mitchell and had no idea how she obtained her personal information, the affidavit said.
After Mitchell was arrested on Thursday, she was transported to the Lake County Jail from the area of County Road 468 and West Main Street in Leesburg. Her bond was set at $4,000.