published: Friday, September 21, 2012

Sex offender removes ankle device

Clermont

Sex offender removes ankle device

Suspect jailed after lying about his home address

MILLARD K. IVES | Staff Writer

millardives@dailycommercial.com

A homeless man, required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison this week, is back behind bars after allegedly removing a GPS unit that probation officers used to keep track of him.

Reginald Gerandah Kelty, 42, was charged with failure to comply with sex offender reporting as well as perjury for allegedly telling two different stories about where he was living.

According to an arrest affidavit, Kelty was released from prison on Sunday after serving a sentence on a 2007 conviction of sex with a minor.

An official with the Florida Department of Corrections probation office in Tavares said Friday that due to the nature of the conviction, Kelty was given the ankle monitoring system.

The affidavit adds that on Monday Kelty went to the Lake County Sheriff's Office to register as a sex offender, as required by law, but gave them a Gold Creek Court home in Clermont as his permanent address -- a home where his brother lived.

Officials say the home has been vacant since Corey Wiggins, 38, was shot dead in the doorway during a May home invasion.

It is not clear why Kelty gave officials two different stories about where he lived.

But officials said Kelty removed the GPS unit, which probation officials said was found on the side of the road after he cut it off. Police eventually learned Kelty did not live at the Gold Creek Lane address.

Officials arrested him on Thursday at the Lake County jail where he remained Friday in lieu of $22,000 bail.

Kelty also was arrested earlier this year on a similar probation violation of not registering as a sex offender.