5 arrested in Sonoma County courthouse driver's license sting

Santa Rosa police arrested five men who allegedly drove away from the Sonoma County courthouse Monday after being told by a judge not to drive or advised that their licenses had been suspended.

Officers conducting an undercover “court sting” operation followed 14 offenders from courtrooms to their vehicles to see if they drove away, police said in a press release. Some offenders complied with the law and had arranged alternate means of transportation, but five who got behind the wheel and drove away were stopped by police.

Miguel Angel Perez Vargas, 26, of Santa Rosa, Ruben Correa-Santos, 25, of Windsor and Jose Gusafat Carrillo, 26, of Santa Rosa were cited for driving without a license; Brandon Gabriel McGroarty, 30, of Sonoma and Ramon Santana, 30, of Guerneville were cited for driving on a suspended license, police said.

The men could face additional jail time, lengthy driver license suspensions and financial penalties including attorney fees and court costs, police said.

The sting operation was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.