Innocent Man Arrested Due to Clerical Error by Fort Myers Police
An innocent man from Orlando was wrongfully arrested after the Fort Myers Police Department issued a criminal traffic citation to the wrong person. The mix-up occurred following a crash on August 22 in Fort Myers involving a motorcyclist named Ryan Vieira. However, the citation was mistakenly issued to another man with a similar name, Ryan Viera from Orlando.
Viera, who has no history of driving a motorcycle, received a shocking call on September 10, informing him that Orange County deputies had a warrant for his arrest. He was accused of failing to appear in court for not having a motorcycle endorsement—an offense linked to the crash in Lee County, which he had no involvement in.
“I’ve never driven a motorcycle, so I didn’t even know what Lee County was,” Viera told NBC2. Confused, he researched the crash and discovered an article detailing the incident involving the actual motorcyclist, Ryan Vieira.
Viera attempted to clarify the situation at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, but his information matched the warrant. He was arrested, taken to jail, and held until his brother could bail him out. Viera described the experience as a traumatic ordeal, recounting how he was stripped down and placed in a jumpsuit before being released.
NBC2 reached out to authorities on Viera’s behalf, leading to an investigation. Court documents later revealed that the Fort Myers Police Department acknowledged the clerical error, confirming that the wrong person had been cited due to similar names and birthdates. A request was made to the State Attorney’s Office to drop all charges against Viera.
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Despite NBC2’s attempts to contact the Fort Myers Police Department for further explanation, no response has been provided. For more information on this case and ongoing updates, visit NBC2.