Told officers “Chief” let him borrow pickup stolen from Florida

A Cedartown man remained in custody with bond set after he was driving on a suspended license behind the wheel of a stolen pickup from Florida on Tuesday night, according to Polk County Police reports.

Officers arrested Christopher Dennis Moore, 48, of a Cedartown address on Tuesday when he was pulled over in the stolen truck when it was driving northbound on Highway 27 near the area of Judkin Mill Road. The officer initiating the traffic stop ran the plate and found it returned not to a green Dodge Ram pickup he was now following, but instead a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt.

Moore and a passenger was stopped in the parking lot at Petro’s where he was asked for his license, but told officers he didn’t have one. The officer explained the reason for the stop and that’s when Moore explained that he was driving a friend’s truck.

Police got more info about the truck and found that it was stolen out of Escambia County, Florida, and Moore was immediately taken into custody without incident.

The officer with backup began to investigate further and found that he was driving on a suspended license, which had been in suspension since April 2022. After being read Miranda, both Moore and the passenger agreed to speak to police.

Moore told police that a friend named “Chief” let him borrow the truck, which he had been using for the past two months. Allegedly, Moore told police that “Chief” had since died.

Police also searched the truck after they believed the smelled marijuana, and found a small amount in the truck and in a grinder found in the dash. Police destroyed the marijuana at the scene, and no charges were filed against Moore for the drugs found within.

The reporting officer who began the stop called the registered owner of the tag, who explained that the 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt was given to his son. Moore told police that he knew the owner of the car, and alleged that it must have been passed along to “Chief” who then put it on the truck.

Officers noted that when they were searching the truck, they wiring was exposed, a screwdriver was wedged into the steering column, and a broken set of tweezers was being used as a key. Moore explained how to start the truck to officers when it was being towed away before being booked into the Polk County Jail.

Moore remains in custody with a $21,450 bond set.

He’s being held on felony charges of theft by bringing stolen property into state and driving while license suspended or revoked, and misdemeanor charges for removing or affixing license plate with intent to conceal or misrepresent, unregistered vehicle and no insurance. A trio of bond drops were also posted to his latest booking record.