The 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office dismissed a felony theft charge against a 27-year-old who rode into Bradenton Beach on a stolen motorcycle.
Vernon Everett of Palmetto was traveling south on Gulf Drive March 7 when a Bradenton Beach Police officer stopped him for a traffic violation and determined the motorcycle was stolen out of Manatee County in 2015.
In an interoffice memo, Assistant State Attorney William Moran stated the state lacked sufficient evidence to prove Everett stole the motorcycle or knew it was stolen.
The defendant’s explanation that he was test driving the vehicle before a possible purchase was not unreasonable, given he made no attempt to elude police, the motorcycle’s poor condition and a six-month lapse of time since it was stolen, Moran wrote.