A Bellefontaine man was arrested Tuesday after police say he was caught driving without a valid driver’s license for at least the fifth time.
According to the Bellefontaine Police Department, an officer was patrolling on South Detroit Street just before 6:00 p.m. when he recognized 58-year-old Richard Whiting driving a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee.
After checking his driving record, the officer confirmed Whiting did not have a valid driver’s license and pulled him over.
During the stop, Whiting told the officer he thought his license was suspended but hadn’t received anything in the mail.
Police later confirmed he was not suspended—he simply has never had a valid Ohio driver’s license.
Whiting told the officer he knew he didn’t have a license and said he was trying to get the issue taken care of.
Because of his history of driving without a license, Whiting was arrested.
The Jeep was towed from the scene, and he was taken to the Logan County Jail.
He was charged with driving without an operator’s license after a prior conviction, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Police say Whiting has four previous convictions for driving without a license, with cases dating back to 1999 and additional convictions in 2024, 2025, and earlier this year.
