Gary Goings, 64, of Festus was recently arrested after failing to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on a charge of felony stealing. He allegedly didn’t pay at Festus auto dealership that had serviced his vehicle, according to court documents.
He was arrested Dec. 2, the day after he didn’t appear in court, and as of Dec. 4, he was being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro. He had previously been released on his own recognizance, court documents said.
Goings has been charged with stealing $750 or more, a class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Goings retrieved his vehicle from Lucas-Smith Chrysler Center, 1600 Parkway W, on April 15, but he allegedly did not pay the dealership $1282.93 for work performed on the vehicle. Festus Police contacted Goings that day, and he allegedly said he would return to the dealership to pay for the services, the case’s probable-cause statement said.
However, he allegedly had not paid the dealership as of May 5, and the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged him with felony stealing on July 25, court papers show.