A Villager’s son has been sentenced after he was found passed out at The Villages Polo Club.
Michael Scott Griffin, 53, pleaded no contest last week in Sumter County Court to charges of driving under the influence and driving while license suspended. He has been placed on probation for one year, has lost his license for six months and was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
Griffin had been found on the night of Sept. 14 behind the wheel of a red 2017 Kia SUV with a Florida disabled veteran’s license plate. He was passed out and found by a woman who called 911, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Griffin told the deputies he had taken his father’s vehicle to “get away” from his father’s home in the Village of Glenbrook. Griffin said he needed a chance to “cool off.” Griffin admitted he had taken prescription Xanax. The New York native agreed to participate in field sobriety exercises, but performed poorly and appeared to “doze off” during one of the exercises. A criminal history check revealed five previous convictions for driving while license suspended.