A 46-year-old Lakeland resident was arrested Sunday evening after authorities determined he refused to return a company vehicle following his termination from a concrete position.
Ricky Lee Gilbert now faces a third-degree felony charge of grand theft of a motor vehicle, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Records indicate that Gilbert was hired on October 24 to perform concrete work. After failing to report on his first scheduled workday, he arrived for his second shift and completed work over a three-day period. His employer, dissatisfied with his performance, subsequently dismissed him from the position.
Following his termination, Gilbert refused to return the company-owned work truck that had been assigned to him. This prompted the business owner to report the vehicle stolen to the Lakeland Police Department on November 1.
Later that evening, at approximately 6:50 p.m., a sheriff’s deputy observed the vehicle traveling through the Combee Settlement area, locally known as K-Ville. The deputy conducted a traffic stop off Farmer Brown Road and took Gilbert into custody without incident.
Authorities transported Gilbert to the Sheriff’s Processing Center for booking. Law enforcement officers subsequently returned the stolen truck to Gilbert’s former employer.
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