In a recent development out of Waldo, Florida, a 69-year-old man, Charlie Paul Hill, found himself in handcuffs on Monday after being linked to a stash of stolen scooters. Authorities discovered the scooters at a deserted property in Waldo, where Hill had been residing unlawfully for approximately a month.
The investigation kicked off on October 20 when the Gainesville Police Department enlisted the help of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office to track down two purloined scooters. The scooters’ GPS trackers indicated their presence in the vicinity of NE 139th Terrace. Upon arriving in the area, a deputy spotted a yellow Moped, along with blue tents and various other items, at a property located on NE 148th Avenue.
Contacting the property owner, the deputy confirmed that no permission had been granted for anyone to use the premises or enter the house. Inside the house, deputies found Hill, who was subsequently taken into custody.
Under questioning, Hill revealed that he had acquired a red Moped from someone in Waldo, fully aware that it was stolen. The deputy observed that the scooter appeared to have been “hotwired.” Hill further recounted purchasing the yellow Moped from another individual in Waldo for a mere $10, admitting he had no knowledge of its stolen status but suspected it might be. Both scooters had been reported stolen from Gainesville.
In a candid admission, Hill confessed he knew he was squatting on the property without permission. Despite this, he attempted to rationalize his presence by claiming he intended to tidy up the area.
Hill also reportedly admitted that he knew he did not have permission to stay at the house, but he attempted to justify his presence by saying he was going to clean up the property.
A search of the property reportedly produced several baggies under Hill’s bed; one had less than a gram of fentanyl, and the others contained less than a gram of methamphetamine. Two cylindrical tubes, typically used for consuming narcotics, were also reportedly found.
Hill reportedly denied knowing anything about methamphetamine under his bed, but the deputy noted that he seemed nervous and “rapidly changed the subject.”
Detectives are investigating whether other bicycles and scooters on the property were stolen.
Hill has been charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, two counts of dealing in stolen property, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has 32 felony convictions (three violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (non-violent) and has served four state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2021. Senior Judge Bo Bayer set bail at $600,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
