A single-car accident late Saturday night resulted in multiple felony charges for a 38-year-old man after he allegedly presented a deputy with a forged driver’s license belonging to a deceased relative.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported that the incident occurred around 11:40 p.m. on March 21 at the intersection of US 27 and Alturas Babson Park Cutoff Road near Lake Wales. Armando Emiliano Villasenor Bedolla, a Mexican national, crashed his 2011 Volkswagen Jetta at the junction.
Investigators confirmed that no other vehicles were involved in the crash, and Villasenor Bedolla sustained no injuries.
The situation escalated during the initial roadside investigation when Villasenor Bedolla handed a Florida driver’s license to the responding deputy.
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Authorities quickly determined the document was fraudulent. Further investigation revealed that the name on the license belonged to Villasenor Bedolla’s deceased cousin.
Deputies arrested Villasenor Bedolla and transported him to the Sheriff’s Processing Center. He faces a slate of charges, including possession of a forged identification, use of the personal identification of a deceased person, providing a false ID to law enforcement, and driving without a valid license.
Under Florida law, because Villasenor Bedolla is in the United States illegally, each of the criminal charges was enhanced by one degree. Following his processing, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has since placed a detainer on the suspect.
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