Kentucky pharmacist's arrest linked to one-digit error on police citation

JESSAMINE COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — A clerical error on a police citation appears to be the source of a mix-up that led to the arrest of a Kentucky pharmacist who was wrongly linked to a man with a criminal record.

LEX News Investigates has been following the case of Dr. Shelby Dela Cruz, who was pulled over in Jessamine County and arrested on charges of operating on a suspended license and failure to surrender a revoked license after state records incorrectly showed her license was suspended.

A Carter County Circuit Court judge later ruled that a clerical error caused the mistake. Court records showed Dela Cruz's identity became linked to Stephen Ludwig of Grayson, whose driving history included a suspended license. The two share the same birthday, and their Social Security numbers differed by a single digit.

After reviewing court records and citations, LEX News found the apparent source of the error.

An August 2024 Grayson Police Department citation issued to Ludwig listed a Social Security number in which the second-to-last digit appears to match Dela Cruz's number instead of Ludwig's. That incorrect entry was later reflected in records that associated Dela Cruz with Ludwig's driving history.

"I honestly believe that it was an honest mistake," Dela Cruz said. "It's devastating for my life."

Dela Cruz said she was shocked that a single-digit clerical mistake could create such widespread consequences.

"Someone wouldn't think that just one number would cause so much catastrophe in someone's life," she said.

Despite the court ruling identifying the records error, the charges filed against Dela Cruz following the traffic stop remain pending in Jessamine County.

Dela Cruz said the unresolved charges have prevented her from obtaining several out-of-state pharmacy licenses required for her work.

She also remains frustrated that the charges have not been dismissed.

According to Dela Cruz, prosecutors have asked her to stipulate that probable cause existed for the traffic stop. She has declined, saying she believes doing so could affect her ability to pursue legal action related to the incident.

"To me, it's my constitutional right to seek damages for everything that has been done to me," Dela Cruz said.

The case remains pending in Jessamine County.

Email the LEX18 Newsroom if you have info, photos or videos to share.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.