Former Orange County deputy convicted of stealing driver’s license in Oviedo stop

A Seminole County jury convicted former Orange County deputy Jacob D. Hobby of petit theft after he took Irene Torres Colindres’ valid driver’s license during an Oviedo traffic stop and let her drive away without it.

Hobby stopped Torres Colindres around 1:50 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2025, on Alafaya Trail after she was driving more than 100 mph. He did not return to his car to run a records check, never called in the stop, never activated his body camera and did not issue a citation. Instead, he confiscated her license and a THC vape pen and let her leave without the license.

Torres Colindres contacted the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office after checking online and seeing that her license was still valid. Traffic-camera video confirmed the stop and tied Hobby’s patrol vehicle to the encounter. A search of the patrol car found Torres Colindres’ license tucked into a space above the interior ceiling dome light. Hobby disposed of the vape pen in a property package from a different traffic stop. During the trial, Hobby told investigators he was doing Torres Colindres “a solid” by not giving her a citation.

Debbie Lee and David Whateley prosecuted the case at the June 24 trial. Hobby rejected a plea offer that would have required him to surrender his law-enforcement certification in exchange for entering a diversion program. Judge Debra Krause then sentenced him to six months of probation, 120 hours of community service and $1,292 in fines and fees.

Hobby resigned from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in March 2025 while under investigation. Its administrative review found that he violated department rules, falsified records and did not conform to laws.