Man arrested for suspicion of fraud

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office was called Monday after a government employee alleged someone was trying to obtain a driver's license with a false name.

Deputies arrived at 7489 Forest Oaks Blvd. and were advised that a man requested a Florida driver's license using an Illinois birth certificate, social security number and other documents, according to an arrest report.

The suspect, Herbert Carl Martinez, also provided several pieces of mail with his name and Brooksville address to verify his identity, deputies said.

The employee at the driver's license office said she entered the social security number into the database and discovered there were already two other subjects who had licenses issued using the same number, according to the sheriff's office.

After retrieving the driver's license photographs and noticing they were of the same man, the employee determined the suspect was trying to obtain a license with a fake name, deputies said.

Authorities reached the same conclusion. The suspect also was using the same address, according to the report.

The man was seated in the lobby and when deputies confronted him, he told them "I don't talk to law enforcement," they said.

When asked to reveal his real name, he told authorities, "Ask my lawyer," according to the report.

A call was made to local attorney Peyton Hyslop. A receptionist at Hyslop's office advised the suspect not to say anything and he was no longer questioned, deputies said.

A criminal history check showed the man's actual name is Carl M. Desmond.

He was taken to the Hernando County Jail where he was charged with obtaining a driver's license/identification card by providing false information, which is a felony. He also was issued a traffic citation, deputies said.

In the past, Desmond, 47, has been charged with domestic battery, violating a protection injunction and knowingly driving on a suspended license, but those charges were subsequently dropped, according to court records.