A 22-year-old valet at a downtown Nashville hotel is facing felony charges after allegedly taking a guest's silver BMW for an unauthorized drive that left the vehicle with significant new damage — and a firearm somehow tied to the whole mess. Darren Driver Jr. was arrested on charges including theft, vandalism and weapon possession following an incident at the Bankers Alley Hotel.
According to WKRN News 2, Driver was an employee of the hotel and showed up on his day off to return the guest's keys. The guest told investigators they had handed Driver the keys the night before so he could park the car. Instead, surveillance video reviewed by investigators allegedly showed the silver BMW cruising down 3rd Avenue North, according to court records cited by the station.
Investigators determined the BMW sustained significant new damage at the intersection of 4th Avenue and Deadrick Street, per the station's reporting. The report connecting Driver to the incident also involved a firearm found in connection with the vehicle, though the station's account does not specify whether the gun was located inside the car or on Driver himself.
Felony Charges Stack Up Fast
Driver now faces charges of theft involving between $60,000 and $250,000, vandalism involving $10,000, and weapon possession, the same report notes. His bond has been set at $42,000.
The dollar figures attached to Driver's charges are part of the allegations: theft involving property valued between $60,000 and $250,000, and vandalism involving $10,000 in damage. The relevant statutes are Tennessee Code § 39-14-105 and Tennessee Code § 39-14-408.
The weapon charge compounds that exposure significantly. Under Tennessee Code § 39-17-1324, possessing a firearm with intent to go armed during a dangerous felony is a separate offense; the statute also addresses employing a firearm. State law requires that any mandatory minimum sentence tied to that charge be served consecutively — not concurrently — with whatever sentence results from the underlying felony.
A Boutique Hotel in the Heart of Printer's Alley
The Bankers Alley Hotel sits at 222 3rd Avenue North in downtown Nashville's art district, blocks from Printers Alley, a 124-room boutique property operating under Hilton's Tapestry Collection, according to Hilton. The property called police after the guest's complaint, arrest documents show.
It is not the only recent case of a luxury vehicle disappearing from valet care in the Southeast. In September, Hoodline reported on a Savannah incident in which a suspect allegedly tricked valet staff into handing over a $90,000 BMW by falsely claiming to be a professional basketball player.
Firearms in Vehicle-Related Cases
The case also involves a firearm, and Driver faces a weapon-possession charge.
Other recent Middle Tennessee cases have followed a similar script. In September, a stolen Chevy Suburban struck an officer on Trousdale Drive, and a stolen handgun was found in connection with the case. Days earlier, two suspects fled on foot into a Nolensville neighborhood after crashing a stolen vehicle during a police pursuit, leaving a firearm behind in the abandoned car.
