A driver, whose license was suspended, used the name of his brother, whose license was valid, to identify himself to a state trooper during a traffic stop in Lyons.

Things didn’t add up and Dustin Fredrich Abel, 30, Bloomington with a home address in the eastern Greene County area, was arrested and booked in to the Greene County Jail.

On Wednesday morning in Greene Superior Court, he pleaded guilty to identity deception, a Level 6 felony.

Abel was stopped by Indiana State Police Trooper Randall Van Arsdale around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18. Van Arsdale said he saw a white Kia car turn onto Meridian Street in Lyons with a rear license plate so dirty the numbers could not be read. He initiated a stop.

The driver said he didn’t have his license with him but gave the trooper his name, which turned out to be his brother’s name. Then he said he had just borrowed the car and did not have a registration.

When the trooper ran records checks, he learned the Kia had been reported as stolen out of Lawrence County. The driver then admitted he had used his brother’s name in an attempt to avoid getting in trouble. Dustin Abel’s driver’s license had been suspended since October of 2017.

On May 7, a negotiated plea agreement was signed by Abel, his public defender, Defense Attorney David Hunter, and Greene County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Keven McIntosh.

On Wednesday, Abel was sentenced to one year in the Greene County Jail to be served on work release if he’s eligible. He’s also required to pay a fine and court costs.

Abel has been in jail since the day of his arrest and he’ll be given credit for days served.