An elementary faculty instructor and her husband have been arrested by legislation enforcement officers after being accused of buying two high-end automobiles with counterfeit checks.

The automobiles — a 2023 BMW X7 and a 2023 GMC 2500 Denali — have been bought on the identical day at separate Ocala dealerships, in accordance with the couple’s arrest stories.

Ocala Police Division officers mentioned the instructor, Amy Pleasure Patton, gave an authorized test of $101,407.36 for the BMW on Nov. 14. The test included taxes and costs for the posh car, whose sticker worth was $95,562.85.

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Patton, 49, of Homosassa, left after the transaction. 4 days after the sale, workers on the dealership have been informed that the test wasn’t legitimate. The car was tracked to Brooksville, native officers mentioned.

Second car

In the course of the investigation, officers have been informed that 49-year-old Homosassa resident Michael Aaron Patton offered the same counterfeit test at one other Ocala dealership on Nov. 14.

The test, which included taxes and costs, was for $110,083.28. The car was valued at $102,605. Officers at that dealership have been informed on Nov. 17 the test was not good. That car was situated in Hernando County.

Police officers recognized the person and lady from info offered to each dealerships.

Ocala officers contacted the Hernando County Sheriff’s Workplace for help to find the automobiles. Hernando officers discovered the person in a retailer parking zone in Brooksville and arrested him on Nov. 18.

The BMW was discovered at Brooksville Elementary College the place Patton’s spouse works as a instructor by Hernando officers, OPD officers mentioned. She was additionally taken into custody on Nov. 19.

Going through expenses of organized fraud, grand theft of a motorized vehicle and passing counterfeit financial institution checks, the couple has been launched from jail on bail, Ocala police officers mentioned.

Contact Austin L. Miller at [email protected].