On Thursday, February 22, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) collaborated with over 20 local partners to offer vital services to citizens in need. The event aimed to provide a comprehensive support system for those facing various challenges. Thanks to the collective efforts of the partnersContinue Reading
Wanted fugitive Ralph Serrano, 61, was apprehended in Sumter County after a standoff with law enforcement. Serrano, highlighted as the Wanted Person of the Week by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, faced charges of Felony Battery and had failed to appear for court. His resistance led to an additional chargeContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton today sentenced Timothy Jones, a 60-year-old resident of Orlando, to 25 years in federal prison for bank robbery. Jones pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery on September 26, 2023. The court also ordered Jones to forfeit $30,000 of unrecovered proceeds from hisContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Scott Carpenter, Jr. of Lakeland to 28 years in federal prison for robbery and brandishing a firearm during violent crimes. Carpenter, 46, pleaded guilty on November 14, 2023. Carpenter was found guilty of committing 13 armed robberies between August 2018 andContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven sentenced Benjamin Lara, 39, of Ruskin, to one year and one day in federal prison for mail fraud. The court also ordered Lara to pay $68,086.23 in restitution. Lara entered a guilty plea on November 13, 2023. Court documents revealed that Lara, while employed asContinue Reading
In Jacksonville, Nicole Danielle Devilbiss, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiring to produce and distribute animal crush videos, announced United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg. Devilbiss faces up to five years in federal prison with a sentencing date yet to be determined. Federal law defines animal crushing as the deliberate inflictionContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has handed down a seven-year federal prison sentence to Geoffrey Gaston, a 29-year-old resident of Orlando. Gaston pleaded guilty to committing five armed robberies between September 12 and October 12, 2022. Gaston’s crime spree involved targeting 7-Eleven stores across different locations, as revealedContinue Reading
Antione Oshea Ladson, 29, of Orlando, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza to 10 years and 6 months in federal prison for drug trafficking and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Ladson pleaded guilty on July 11, 2023. Court documents revealed that onContinue Reading
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that Carl Stephen Smith, Jr. (33, Green Cove Springs) has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse materials using the internet. Smith faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. Smith was arrested on JanuaryContinue Reading
U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Andi Junior Jacques and Dickenson Elan to federal prison terms for their roles in a RICO conspiracy involving cyber intrusions and millions of dollars of tax fraud. Six co-defendants were previously sentenced for their roles in the offense and one will beContinue Reading