Wanted since 2003, Putnam County duo arrested in Florida

WINTER HAVEN, Fla., — After jumping bail on 2003 Putnam County felony charges, two former Groveland residents essentially disappeared.

At least the names Derrick Holman and Michele Cox disappeared.

Having lived under the names Eric Brewer and Mechele Green for the last 15 years, Holman, 52, and Cox, 48, were arrested Wednesday by Polk County, Fla., officials on a variety of fraud charges.

Also present for the arrest and subsequent questioning was Putnam County Sheriff’s Department Det. Doug Nally, a reminder to Holman and Cox that 15-year-old felony charges are still awaiting them back in Putnam County.

“They have literally been gone for 15 years,” Nally said. “Once they got out on bond, they decided they didn’t want to go to prison. They haven’t used their names, written their names or spoken their names in 15 years.”

The original legal trouble started in Groveland back in the spring of 2003, when Holman allegedly displayed handgun during a neighborhood argument.

Interviewed by police, Holman said it was a BB gun, but admitted to having real guns in his home.

This prompted PCSD to request a search warrant, as Holman was a serious violent felon. In serving the warrant, police found multiple long guns and handguns, as well as cocaine and marijuana in the home Holman and Cox shared.

As a result, Holman was charged with Class B felony possession of a firearm by a serious felon, Class A felony dealing in cocaine, Class D felony possession of cocaine, Class D felony possession of marijuana, Class A misdemeanor criminal recklessness and Class B misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Cox was charged with Class A felony dealing in cocaine, Class D felony possession of cocaine and Class A misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Both posted bail and as the court case began to play out, they apparently didn’t like how things were going.

“They both felt like they were going to get eight or 10 or 15 years in prison and they didn’t want to do that,” Nally said.

And so Holman assumed the identity of Eric Brewer, a Montgomery County man for whom he was doing construction work at the time, giving him access to the proper documents.

Cox assumed the Mechele Green identity, telling authorities upon her arrest that she paid $500 to use the name. That part of her story has not been corroborated.

After selling their house, Holman and Cox drove a truck and travel trailer to Tennessee.

“They parked that in the woods and that’s where they lived,” Nally said.

Getting new identification documents along the way, the duo assumed their new lives as Brewer and Green.

Both were charged with Class D felony failure to appear in January 2004, but they were long gone by then.

In 2008, they moved to Florida and bought a house under the assumed names, an action that would eventually catch up to them.

The current legal action began because the real Eric Brewer did a credit check and found his name linked to property in Florida.

He contacted police in Montgomery County and the information eventually got to the Polk County Sheriff’s Department.

A call back to Putnam County got Nally involved with the case he had helped work so many years ago. The detective actually overheard Det. Sgt. Pat McFadden take the call and mention the name Michele Cox.

“I just overheard Pat,” Nally said. “I remember that name because I was on that scene back in 2003.”

Nally learned that Florida police had linked “Mechele Brewer” back to her real identity of Michele Cox.

“So I said, ‘If it’s Michele Cox, my guess is Derrick Holman is with her,’” Nally said. The Florida detective had not heard that name.

An exchange of current and old pictures ensued, and there was no mistaking the resemblance.

“Sure enough, they’re the same people,” Nally said.

Arrangements were made and Nally arrived in time for the service of arrest warrants and a search warrant.

In the Florida case, Cox is charged with aggravated white collar crime of $50,000 or more (F-1); use of ID of another without consent for $50,000 or more (F-1); obtaining property by fraud, greater than $50,000 (F-1); forgery (F-3); bringing into state forged documents (F-3, 2-counts); uttering (F-3, 2-counts); false statement on motor vehicle insurance (F-3) and filing false documents for property (F-3, 2-counts).

Holman is charged with aggravated white collar crime of $50,000 or more (F-1); use of ID of another without consent for $50,000 or more (F-1); obtaining property by fraud, greater than $50,000 (F-1); forgery (F-3); bringing into state forged documents (F-3, 2-counts); u); false statement on motor vehicle insurance (F-3) and false proof of motor vehicle insurance (F-3).

Also charged in the case were Holman’s brother Mark — who is facing obtaining property by fraud, greater than $50,000 (F-1) and forging public record (F-3) — and Nathan Olsen — charged with obtaining property by fraud, greater than $50,000 (F-1) and filing false document against property (F-3).

These two men are accused of buying property with cash and then quit-claiming the deeds to Holman and Cox, all the while knowing their real identities.

Olsen also has links to Groveland, as he was a witness to the original neighborhood dispute back in 2003.

Even Holman’s father became embroiled in the crimes, as he told authorities he did not have a son named Derrick and thus wound up with a false informing charge.

With so many charges in Florida, it’s unclear when Holman and Cox will be returned to Indiana to again face those charges, but an extradition order has been submitted.

Having lived under the assumed names for so long, emotions began to set in for Holman and Cox following their arrest and questioning. Nally revealed that in getting ready to sign document regarding the seizure of his property, Holman had to take a long pause.

“He got ready to sign it and he put the pen down,” Nally said. “And then he said, ‘I haven’t said or written my real name in 15 years.’”