| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: SEROCKI, ED 0322 (AR11123448) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN, USE OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, TO WIT: TWO EXTREME MACHINE (SPADE) CUSTOM MADE MOTORCYCLE RIMS, SPROCKETS, WAVY BRAKES, AN ULTIMA POLISHED ALUMINUM ENGINE, A PROWLER SIX SPEED TRANSMISSION, ONE CUSTOM BUILT OIL PAN, CYRIL HUZE CUSTOM AIR CLEANER, AND ASSORTED OTHER CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE PARTS, OF THE VALUE OF APPROXIMATELY TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS ($10,000.00) OR MORE, BUT LESS THAN TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($20,000.00), WITH THE INTENT TO EITHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE THE VICTIM OF A RIGHT TO THE PROPERTY OR A BENEFIT THEREOF, OR DID APPROPRIATE THE SAID PROPERTY TO HIS OWN USE OR THE USE OF ANY PERSON NOT ENTITLED THERETO, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 812.014(2)(C)(3). DID POSSESS, SELL, OR OFFER FOR SALE, CONCEAL OR DISPOSE OF IN THIS STATE A MOTOR VEHICLE OR MAJOR COMPONENT THEREOF, ON WHICH ANY MOTOR NUMBER OR VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) HAS BEEN AFFIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER OR BY A STATE AGENCY WHICH REGULATES MOTOR VEHICLES, HAS BEEN DESTROYED, REMOVED, COVERED, ALTERED OR DEFACED WITH KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH DESTRUCTION, REMOVAL, COVERING, ALTERATION OR DEFACEMENT, TO WIT: COUNT NUMBER ONE, ONE MOTORCYCLE FRAME, OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN WITH A PARTIAL VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) HAVING THE FOURTH CHARACTER DRILLED COMPLETELY OUT OF THE FRAME AND ORIGINALLY HAVING THE VIN UNREADABLE BECAUSE IT WAS COMPLETELY FILLED IN WITH PAINT, AND COUNT NUMBER TWO, ONE ULTIMA 127 CUBIC INCH POLISHED VTWIN ENGINE WITH SERIAL NUMBER GROUND COMPLETELY OFF THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE, AND COUNT NUMBER THREE, ONE PROWLER SIX SPEED POLISHED MOTORCYCLE TRANSMISSION WITH SERIAL NUMBER COMPLETELY REMOVED FROM LEFT SIDE OF TRANSMISSION, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTES 319.33(1D) AND 319.6. ON 120110, THE VICTIM, MR TROY MATHEWSON, REPORTED THAT HIS PERSONALLY CUSTOM BUILT MOTORCYCLE HAD BEEN STOLEN FROM HIS BUSINESS DURING THE EVENING WHILE THE BUSINESS WAS CLOSED. AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE NO INVESTIGATIVE LEADS. ON 102611, THE CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE (CCSO) EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT AT 1722 NORTH DUNKENFIELD AVENUE AND THIS DETECTIVE WAS PRESENT DURING THAT SEARCH WARRANT. I OBSERVED A MOTORCYCLE WHICH HAD THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN) LOCATED ON THE FRONT FORK TO HAVE THE FOURTH CHARACTER IN THE VIN COMPLETELY REMOVED BY BEING DRILLED OUT. THE DEFENDANT, WHO WAS ARRESTED ON UNRELATED CHARGES, ADMITTED THAT IT WAS HIS MOTORCYCLE AND HE DID NOT WISH TO HAVE IT REMOVED FROM THE PROPERTY. AT THAT TIME, I ALSO OBSERVED THAT SPADE SHAPED PIECES OF METAL WERE LYING ABOUT THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE WHICH WERE APPROXIMATELY THREE BY THREE INCHES IN LENGTH AND HEIGHT AND APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN CUT OFF OF THE RIMS OF THE MOTORCYCLE. THE MOTORCYCLE AS WELL AS SOME OTHER VEHICLES ON THE PROPERTY WERE LATER IMPOUNDED AND TAKEN TO THE CCSO IMPOUND LOT. ON 103111, THIS DETECTIVE RESPONDED TO THE CCSO IMPOUND LOT TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE VEHICLES THAT HAD BEEN IMPOUNDED. I OBSERVED THAT THE MOTORCYCLE HAD WHAT APPEARED TO BE SOME HIGH END COMPONENTS. I THEN CONTACTED THE VICTIM IN THIS CASE DUE TO HIS KNOWLEDGE OF HIGH END MOTORCYCLE PARTS AND THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THE ITEMS MAY BE HIS. UPON HIS ARRIVAL, HE INSPECTED THE MOTORCYCLE AND STATED THAT HE WAS SURE THAT THE MAJOR COMPONENTS WERE FROM HIS STOLEN MOTORCYCLE AND THAT THE RIMS THAT HAD BEEN ON THAT MOTORCYCLE DID HAVE SPADES ON THEM AND THAT THEY WERE SERIAL NUMBERED AND IF THE TIRES WERE REMOVED, THOSE SERIAL NUMBERS WOULD BE FOUND INSIDE THE RIMS. THIS DETECTIVE THEN MADE CONTACT WITH EXTREME MACHINE LOCATED IN JACKSONVILLE, ILLINOIS, WHO HAD PRODUCED THE RIMS THAT WERE ON THE VICTIM'S MOTORCYCLE. THEY PROVIDED ME WITH THE SERIAL NUMBER FOR THE RIMS. ON 110311, THIS DETECTIVE MET WITH MAINTENANCE MECHANIC NICK FIORENTINO AT THE IMPOUND LOT WHERE HE ASSISTED ME IN TRANSPORTING THE MOTORCYCLE TO THE CCSO MAINTENANCE GARAGE. HE THEN DISASSEMBLED THE MOTORCYCLE AND AFTER REMOVING THE TIRES FROM BOTH RIMS, I OBSERVED THAT THE SERIAL NUMBERS ON BOTH RIMS MATCHED THE ONES SUPPLIED TO ME FROM THE MANUFACTURER. I ALSO OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE HAD THE SERIAL NUMBER CRUDELY GROUND OFF AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD THE SERIAL NUMBER ALSO REMOVED. I MADE CONTACT WITH BOTH MANUFACTURERS AND DETERMINED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ADDITIONAL IDENTIFIERS. ADDITIONAL PARTS ON THE MOTORCYCLE WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED BY PARTS LISTS SUPPLIED BY THE VICTIM. A CHECK OF THE PARTIAL VIN ON THE FRAME (11100865) REVEALED THAT THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN WAS THAILAND BUT I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE ANY OWNER INFORMATION WITHOUT THE FULL NUMBER. ON 110411, THIS DETECTIVE RESPONDED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WHERE THE DEFENDANT WAS CURRENTLY INCARCERATED ON OTHER CHARGES. HE WAS INFORMED HE WOULD BE CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF GRAND THEFT AND THREE COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF A VEHICLE OR MAJOR COMPONENT PART WITH ALTERED OR REMOVED, DEFACED IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. THE DEFENDANT'S BOND WAS SET AT A TOTAL OF $8,000.00 PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. IN ADDITION THE DEFENDANT WAS ISSUED FLORIDA UNIFORM TRAFFIC CITATION NUMBER 8057-CTQ-7 FOR GRAND THEFT. "If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at the Office of the Trial Court Administrator, Citrus County Courthouse, 110 North Apopka Avenue, Inverness, Florida 34450, Telephone (352) 341-6700, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if your are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.” *NOT-EXEMPT* |
