A Wildwood man with a long history of traffic offenses was apprehended again after being discovered driving near a busy entrance gate in The Villages.
A deputy observed 51-year-old James Stevens driving a white Ford pickup truck westbound on County Road 466 toward Morse Boulevard in The Villages at 8:20 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. He was towing an enclosed trailer with no license plate and only one functioning brake light.
Because of this, the deputy stopped Stevens and detained him. A review of his driving record revealed that his license had been suspended several times, and he had been branded as a habitual traffic offender three times. His license had also been revoked as of September 28, 2021, the report stated.
A later check of his criminal history revealed five prior offenses for driving with a suspended license, according to the report.
Stevens was arrested for driving with a suspended license (habitual offender). He was booked into the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting a $2,500 bond.
The Wisconsin native has a long history of driving violations, the most recent occurring in July 2025 for going on a liquor run with a suspended license and earlier that month for failing to wear a seatbelt.
Previously, a neighbor who knew the state of his license caught him driving in July 2024. In May 2024, he was caught at a restaurant with an invalid license, and in April 2024, charges were filed due to a faulty headlight.
Stevens was discovered passing out in a Taco Bell drive-thru in July 2023, still with a suspended license. In December 2022, he was arrested for a different DUI and served 20 days in jail. In August 2021, he also got lost while driving under the influence on a golf cart.
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