Ocala Man Arrested After Multi-Crime Caper Unravels in Driveway
An Ocala man’s alleged crime spree hit a roadblock early Friday when Marion County deputies interrupted a driveway unloading operation that was more revealing than a primetime crime drama.
Detective Chad Haufler and his team swooped in on 3360 SW 166th Court Rd just after midnight, where Sgt. Gerald Boatwright had spotted a 2011 Chevrolet Silverado reported stolen. Four people, including the truck’s operator, Ryan Young, were detained mid-unload. What followed could only be described as a criminal admissions marathon.
Young, a convicted felon with a history of creative criminality, reportedly confessed to a grab bag of felonies. The plot included stealing the Silverado after tricking a locksmith into providing him with a key, pilfering a loaded Colt MK IV semi-automatic handgun from inside the truck, and ransacking a nearby residence for an assortment of items valued at just over $100. Among the loot: a leather firearm holster, a $20 iPod (resold on Facebook Marketplace), and a carved wood wall mirror.
Young didn’t stop at burglary; he generously gave detectives a tour of his ill-gotten gains, stored in his residence and backyard. The cherry on top? A written consent to search his home, ensuring no incriminating stone—or mirror—was left unturned.
As deputies pieced together the trail of theft, Young’s criminal résumé grew: burglary of a conveyance while armed, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and dealing in stolen property. His past felony convictions, including burglary and grand theft, were just icing on the legal cake.
Young was booked into the Marion County Jail, where his creative streak may be better suited to crafting a defense than concocting his next criminal escapade.
