BETHEL – A man police say fled a traffic stop on Thanksgiving was arrested Sunday by the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office, after he was reportedly located inside a stolen car.
Devin Leonard, 25 of Albany Township, was the alleged operator of a black Saturn sedan that was stopped on Route 156 at approximately 12:49 p.m. on Nov. 23 for a traffic violation. The driver gave the name Dale Thompson, but was identified by Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Derrick Doucette as Leonard. Leonard reportedly had 18 license suspensions as well as an active warrant for unpaid fines.
When Doucette approached the driver and called him by his actual name, he sped away down the Vienna Road toward Vienna. Doucette pursued for a short period of time but then broke off the chase. Warrants were issued for Leonard for eluding an officer, a Class C felony, as well as misdemeanor charges of failing to stop for an officer, driving to endanger, refusing to submit to arrest or detention, operating a motor vehicle without a license, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended or revoked license and failing to give correct information.
On Sunday, OCSO Deputy Steve Witham found Leonard inside a vehicle that police say was stolen from Lewiston, parked outside a Family Dollar store. Witham and two other deputies arrested Leonard without incident. He was returned to Franklin County Detention Center at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
Nice work!
Could we keep him in jail for a little while this time, maybe a few years? That would be a refreshing change
from the normal slap on the hands.
18 license suspensions in approximately 10 years?? I say 10 years because the article says he’s 25 and you can’t get a license until you are 16. This is not a failure of the justice system. This is a failure of the Secretary of the State of Maine not to have revoked his license permanently. Unbelievable. Thank you to all law enforcement that got this guy. I’m going to call for the Secretary of State to revoke this guys license permanently. Or maybe we need a new Secretary of State?
P.S. I’m not the same Paul that posted first.
Paulnthey may have revoked his license permanently and he continued to drive causing further revocations without him ever getting his license back. Just saying. Think before you blame. 😁
Do you really think that with 18 suspensions, giving a false name in this instance, a revocation is going to impress this individual?
There simply needs to be a law in place (with teeth!!!) that results in the confiscation (seizure and sale!) of any vehicle being driven by someone who’s license is under suspension! The ‘whine’ will be that “He stole it!”. If that’s the case, prosecute the guy for ‘grand theft’ as well as the moving violation. Seems like THAT would slow this down. SOMEBODY let him drive that car and, clearly, numerous people have previously allowed him to drive their vehicles after his license suspensions. This pantywaist approach to prosecution and punishment for those who continually thumb their noses at the law is sickening!
Well we should give him another chance … folks with assets are arrested every day
It’s only fair to charge them the hard way so this young man can continue to live as he feels where he’s got nothing to give
Say what, Dave?