Jacob Yancey (Photo courtesy of Baxter County Sheriff’s Office)
A man who failed to return a rental car as promised pled guilty to the charges against him in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
Forty-four-year-old Jacob Leo Yancey was put on probation for 5 years. A restitution hearing on damages done to the vehicle is set for Jan. 27. Deputy Prosecutor Kerry Chism said the figure might go as high as $6,000 to $8,000.
Yancey rented the 2019 Toyota Corolla on June 14, 2023, for a two-day period.
When the first rental contract expired, Yancey was reported to have renewed the lease and paid the rental rate through July 18, 2023.
The vehicle was not returned when the extended lease expired.
The owner of the business from which the car had been rented told investigators that the license plate on the vehicle was valid at the time of the initial rental but expired while it was in Yancy’s possession.
On July 26, 2023, an investigator had a telephone conversation with Yancey. According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, Yancey promised to return the vehicle later that same day.
The car was not returned and was entered into ACIC as stolen.
The investigator was informed that a police officer had located the missing car at a residence in Gassville.
The sheriff’s investigator responded to the scene and noted the car had substantial damage to the front end and interior. In the probable cause affidavit, the damage was estimated at more than $5,000. The damage had not been reported to the business from which the car was leased, and there was no accident report located to explain the damage.
A woman, Chelsea Holland, told officers that Yancey had told her to return the car the day before. She could give no reasonable explanation as to why she had been put in charge of the vehicle. She was not listed as an authorized driver on the rental agreement, according to investigators.
There is no explanation in the probable cause affidavit as to when or where Yancey was picked up.
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