A man with a drug problem who stole an employee’s car from the Yorozu parking lot will serve a year in jail.
The man, Comer T. Vance, 43, of Smithville entered a guilty plea before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley to the charge of grand theft. He was ordered to serve one year of a 10-year sentence and may do part of his time under in-house drug treatment. He has been accepted in to the Adult Recovery Program, which is an intensive 18-month rehabilitation program overseen by the court.
Vance’s sentence comes after he took a 2000 Dodge Stratus from the parking lot of Yorozu. Investigators were called to the scene after the car was discovered missing.
Sheriff’s investigator Travis Thaxton pulled the surveillance tape for the lot and saw the vehicle exiting the parking area. He next talked to the security guard who said she saw Vance looking into vehicles on the lot. Vance told the guard he was waiting for a ride when she approached him. Moments later, she saw the Dodge pull out of the parking space.
Given the evidence pointing to Vance, Thaxton questioned him about the theft. Vance first denied knowing anything about it, but changed his tune when he was told about the video and the eyewitness account from the security guard.
“He admitted taking the car and stated he sold it to an unknown subject in White County for $250,” Thaxton said.
Vance told the investigator he was desperate for money because he is addicted to hydrocodone.