An Orlando, Florida man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly stole a hotel-owned vehicle and then tried to bribe an officer with an offer of cocaine.
Ronald William Kratz, 48, was charged with petit theft, grand theft auto and bribery of a public servant.
Around 4:00 p.m., a Key West Police Department officer responded to the Fairfield Inn on North Roosevelt in response to a reported vehicle theft. The officer met with a hotel employee, who said he parked the van outside with engine running, went inside and then returned to find it missing. While speaking with the employee, a second employee called and told them that he was following the van near Eaton Street, according to the report.
Officers responded to the area and found the vehicle, subsequently arresting the suspect, later identified as Kratz, by ordering him out of the vehicle at gunpoint. After arresting him, officers asked why he was driving the van, and Kratz replied that he was an employee of the hotel. Officers determined that wasn’t true, according to the report. After patting him down, officers found a flip phone belonging to the hotel, which led to the petit theft charge.
On the way to jail, Kratz reportedly offered the arresting officer $4,000 worth of cocaine to open the car door and let him go. He elaborated that he would contact his brother, who would send the cocaine. The officer recorded the offie on his body-worn camera, according to the report.
Kratz was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center, where he was being held on a $25,000 bond.
Information in the Crime Report is obtained from reports provided by area law enforcement agencies.
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