RUTLAND, Vt. (NEWS10) — A Florida man was arrested Thursday following a lengthy stolen car investigation, where police say he was driving a car that was reported stolen out of Miami in 2020 and was caught in Rutland earlier this year. Jorge Pena (Defuniak Springs, Florida, 41) faces several charges.
According to Vermont State Police, on April 17, 2023, troopers pulled over a car, a 2015 Range Rover, on US Route 4 in Rutland for a motor vehicle violation. Police say the driver, later identified as Pena, did not have any documentation for the car. During the stop, police say they suspected the car may not have been legitimate.
Law enforcement seized the car and was granted a warrant to find the true identity of the car. After executing the warrant, police found the car had an altered VIN.
With the help of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), they found the actual VIN of the car and realized it had been reported stolen out of Miami in 2020. Police also say Pena made several false statements to law enforcement to deflect the investigation.
Charges:
- Aggravated operation without owner’s consent
- Possession of stolen property
- False information to police
Troopers met with Pena on Thursday and issued him a criminal citation to appear in Rutland County Superior Court. He will answer to the charges at a later date.
