Brooksville motorcyclist charged with felony after 3rd traffic offense

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) — A Brooksville man with a history of traffic offenses was booked into jail on a no bond status Monday after deputies said they caught him driving a motorcycle without a valid license.

Dennis Koehler, 52, reportedly raised Hernando County deputies' suspicions when they saw him quickly walk away from a motorcycle in a 7-Eleven parking lot.

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According to authorities, Koehler had been walking toward the vehicle until he noticed the sheriff's deputies at the gas station on Cortez Boulevard.

Deputies followed Koehler as he walked around the business and found him kneeling down near a patch of bushes.

Koehler reportedly told them he was walking to a friend's house but could not provide the name or address of his friend.

When asked, officials said Koehler initially denied owning the motorcycle. However, after being read his Miranda rights, deputies said Koehler admitted to riding the vehicle to the gas station.

Koehler told them he "got scared" when he saw law enforcement because he did not have a valid driver's license, the sheriff's office reported.

Upon further investigation, deputies said they noticed the motorcycle also had an altered Vehicle Identification Number.

Koehler was arrested on charges of possession of a vehicle with an altered VIN and driving with a suspended license — his third or subsequent offense. A third offense is considered a third-degree felony in Florida.

He was taken to the Hernando County Detention Center, where he was being held on a no bond status due to his bond on unrelated charges being revoked after his arrest.