A stolen vehicle case that began in the Lower Keys has concluded with a state prison sentence after the defendant violated probation, says the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office.
On Aug. 31, 2020, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies received an alert from the License Plate Reader (LPR) system on a silver 2019 Nissan Versa reported stolen out of Colorado. Deputies located the vehicle traveling southbound on U.S. 1 near Big Pine Key. A traffic stop was conducted near MM 3, where the driver was identified as Donald Joshua Schellinger. He was taken into custody without incident.
At the time of his arrest, Schellinger was also driving with a license indefinitely suspended since 2015. He was transported to the Monroe County Detention Center in Key West and charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and driving while license suspended.
In December 2020, Schellinger was placed on 60 months of probation. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to pay more than $8,000 in restitution, fines and court costs to cover the recovery and return of the stolen vehicle to its rightful owner.
At a violation of probation hearing, Schellinger admitted he had failed to comply with the conditions of his supervision. He was adjudicated guilty, and Circuit Judge Mark Jones revoked his probation and sentenced him to 35 months in state prison.
“Probation offers offenders a chance to take responsibility and rebuild their lives outside of prison,” State Attorney Dennis Ward said. “But when that opportunity is ignored, the consequences are clear. Thanks to the strong work of deputies and prosecutors, this case was brought to a just conclusion and the victim’s rights were upheld.”
“The LPR system gave deputies the information they needed to quickly locate the stolen vehicle and make the arrest. When the defendant violated probation, our office sought the stronger sanction of prison time, ensuring accountability for his actions,” Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield said.
Schellinger is currently serving his sentence in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections.
