A Umatilla man was arrested on theft and fraud charges after selling a stolen car he had towed from the owner’s residence.
A deputy responded to 20205 SE 157th Place regarding a stolen vehicle on Tuesday evening, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon the deputy’s arrival, the female victim advised that a tow truck, later discovered to have been hired by 37-year-old Larry Lynn Cuddy, had loaded up her vehicle from her yard and left. Her vehicle had been paid off, and there was no tag attached. She saw the tow truck turn eastbound on U.S. Highway 42 from Southeast 203rd Avenue, the report said.
The victim advised that she tried to follow the tow truck toward Lake County but was unable to find it. She could not remember any details of the truck besides it having blue block lettering on it, the report said.
As for her vehicle, the victim described it as a white 2004 Honda Pilot that was purchased from Second Chance Auto for $3,000. She was also able to provide the title in her name, the report said.
Through further investigation, the deputy learned around 5:33 p.m. that a tow truck with a white Honda SUV was traveling eastbound on U.S. Highway 42 from Southeast 182nd Avenue Road. A check of its license plate showed Orlando Global Recycling, LLC, the report said.
The deputy used this information to contact a supervisor at the business who stated they had the vehicle. The business worked with a third-party company called Cash for Cars, and Cuddy was the one who arranged and sold the vehicle. He told the business that the vehicle belonged to his deceased mother-in-law, the report said.
Cuddy was not able to provide any documentation, such as a death certificate, to prove the owner was in fact deceased. The supervisor did state that the situation did seem a little suspicious. She was also able to provide a photo of Cuddy’s driver’s license, the report said.
The deputy went on to contact the tow truck operator. He recalled that he arrived at the incident location and was met by Cuddy and two others. Once he took possession of the vehicle, Cuddy ran off while the other two individuals got into a black four-door sedan and left. He also noted there was a U-Haul at the site, the report said.
The following day, another deputy went back to the incident location and contacted the supervisor again. She gave him a copy of the vehicle sale and all their paperwork, the report said.
The first page depicted Cuddy using the Cash for Cars website and selling a 2004 Honda Pilot at the incident location of 20120 SC 157th Place. The seller was listed as Larry “Cutty” with a phone number and the agreed upon sale price of $487. The vehicle conditions of the sale indicated the car did not start, and there was no title, the report said.
The following pages followed the same pattern with Cuddy using his own license to fill out forms as if he were the owner. His license was documented on multiple forms, and it was confirmed that he sold it to the recycling business, the report said.
The deputy proceeded to meet with Cuddy at his residence, and he agreed to come to the Ocklawaha District Office to be interviewed. He then advised that a person named “J” told him to get his driver’s license so they could sell the vehicle. He stated that he did not know anything about the vehicle but was told by “J” that he was given a cleanup job by “JD” to clean the property, the report said.
Since Cuddy had a license, “J” asked for him to be there for the sale in exchange for $50. Still, Cuddy did not know the name of the tow truck company but did know the website Cash for Cars. He advised that “J” got the registration for the car, but he did not know how. Cuddy admitted to signing the derelict title paperwork and putting his thumbprint on it. He recognized the paperwork when shown and confirmed it was what he signed, the report said.
Cuddy denied having more information on “J” and “JD,” but he insisted they were involved. He then stated he did not want to speak anymore and requested an attorney. The interview was terminated, and no further questions were asked, the report said.
Cuddy was subsequently arrested on charges of grand theft of motor vehicle, dealing in stolen property and cheating or gross fraud. He was transported to the Marion County Jail to be held without bond.