Innocent man arrested in Orlando after Fort Myers Police make clerical error
An innocent man was arrested in Orlando after the Fort Myers Police Department issued a criminal traffic citation to the wrong person.
A few weeks ago, ABC7 spoke with a motorcyclist named Ryan Vieira, involved in a crash that occurred on Aug, 22. on Dani Drive and Six Miles Cypress in Fort Myers.
The Fort Myers Police Department issued a criminal traffic citation to the motorcyclist for not having a motorcycle endorsement but issued it to the wrong person, another man named Ryan Viera from Orlando.
Ryan said the mistake led to a wrongful arrest and shared his nightmare with ABC7.
"Along with the failure to appear normal endorsement, it was, I think improper tag and no registration or something like that, one of those two citations," said Viera.
Ryan Viera said he received a call on Sept. 10 that Orange County Deputies were at his door with an arrest warrant. He had never been arrested before and was terrified. He was accused of failing to appear in court for not having a motorcycle endorsement after a crash on Aug. 22 in Lee County.
"I don't have a motorcycle. I've never driven a motorcycle, so I don't even know how to," said Viera. "I had to look it up because I didn't know what Lee County was."
Viera said he found an on the crash published by ABC7 that involved a different man named Ryan Vieira.
He said after work he went to the Orange County Sheriff's Office to prove his innocence.
"They're like, well, there is a warrant for your arrest. It's in your information. Everything matches up and it's signed, signed by a judge," said Viera. "Two officers approached me and I heard the little body cam, start to record."
Viera was arrested and taken to the Orange County Jail. He spent hours there before his brother bailed him out.
"That was something I never would imagine myself in. And that was just a whole different type of nightmare or, traumatic experience," said Viera. "They stripped me down. I had to get naked. I put on the jumpsuit."
Viera contacted ABC7 about the mistake. We reached out to authorities who began investigating.
Shortly after, court documents showed Fort Myers Police submitted a request to the State Attorney's Office asking them to drop all charges against Viera. Stating, "Person cited was not driver of vehicle, clerical error. Driver and person cited have similar names and DOB."
ABC7 sent several emails to the Fort Myers Police Department over the past few days and has called them to ask more questions about how this happened but has not received a response.
