Criminal charges against a Johnson County man have been dismissed after the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s office confirmed a relative had stolen his identity and used the information when arrested by sheriff deputies.
On May 3, 2019, a Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputy arrested a suspect driving a 2001 GMC Sonoma reported stolen from Indianapolis. A more extensive search turned up a syringe under the driver’s seat, according to the sheriff’s department.
The identification given to the officers by the driver was that of Dakota L. Ebright, 28, of Greenwood. The driver was booked into the Bartholomew County Jail on charges of auto theft and unlawful possession of syringe, both Level 6 felonies. However, the suspect was released from jail after a brief time.
As the months went on, certified mail to the individual was returned as ‘Attempted Not Known – Unable to forward.” Although the same individual was picked up twice and taken to jail by local police, he was again released on his own recognizance.
The real Dakota L. Ebright found out about the identity theft through a news story about the arrest. When checking on the charges, he learned about the court date, and said he called the prosecutor’s office and was asked to show up for the court date.
At the court date, the prosecutor’s office confirmed that there had been identity theft and that Ebright was not the individual who had been arrested in the stolen Sonoma in 2019.
“Mr. Ebright is correct that someone else used his identification, which resulted in charges being filed against him,” Bartholomew County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Greg Long said. “He came to court and I was able to determine that he was not the one that was arrested in May 2019, so the case against him was dismissed.”
Ebright alleged one of his relatives had used his identification to hide his true identity from law enforcement.
The relative identified by Ebright has been convicted of several charges in Marion County over the past eight years. Counts against him have included multiple counts of theft, auto theft, receiving stolen auto parts, possession of narcotics and receiving stolen property. Currently, Ebright’s relative is being held in Indianapolis for breaking the terms of his probation.
The relative has not yet been charged in Bartholomew County, according to local court records.
“We are still looking into this matter, and it is possible that charges might be filed against someone else in the future,” Long said of a continuing investigation into the case.
