Marion County court case recap for May 24 and 26
Here's a summary of court cases that were decided at the Marion County Judicial Center on May 24 and 26.
State v. Bernard Pedreira
About the case: Deputies arrested the elderly man in 2018 after a girl said he molested her on several occasions.
Charges: Bernard Pedreira was charged with two counts each of sexual battery on a child under 12 and lewd, lascivious molestation of a child under 12, and one count of show obscene material to minor.
Verdict: Deliberating for less than an hour and a half, a six-member jury consisting of four men and two men said Pedreira was guilty.
Sentence: Pedreira was not sentenced by Circuit Judge Peter Brigham, which allows a pre-sentence investigation, or PSI, to be done. Pedreira could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Undercover operation: Sheriff: Men thought they were arranging sex with minors. But it was an online sting.
In court: Ocala courthouse: One man sentenced, another awaits sentencing after jury trial
With the jury's decision, the judge ordered the 90-year-old Dunnellon man to the Marion County Jail. Pedreira had been free on bond.
Trial: Jury selection was May 22, and the trial began May 23. It ended May 24. Both the victim and Pedreira took the stand. Two other girls testified for the state.
Lawyers: Assistant State Attorney Elizabeth White was the lawyer for the prosecutor, while Johnathan Kruse of Clermont defended Pedreira.
State v. Felipe Velez
About the case: The Fort White man was charged with abuse of a disabled adult, an amended offense. He was originally charged in 2020 with sexual assault, no physical force.
Plea: No contest.
Sentence: Felipe Velez was sentenced to five years probation in an agreement between him and the state. An American sign language interpreter related messages to Velez, who's deaf, during his change of plea hearing held in front of retired Circuit Judge David Eddy on May 24.
Special conditions: Velez, 39, has to complete a psycho-sexual evaluation and pay fines and court costs.
State v. Jose Camacho-Negron, Jeremi Andre Miller-McCreary, Derrick Pullens and Steven Persaud
About the case: Members of the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, or UDEST, alleged the men were connected to a large drug trafficking operation where illegal narcotics were transported to Marion County for sale and distribution. The men, along with several others to include three brothers, were charged for their alleged participation in what prosecutors called a drug enterprise. The men were arrested in 2019.
On May 25, the judge revoked bail for one of the brothers, 32-year-old Andys Alfredo Marin of Marion Oaks, for having contact with Jose Camacho-Negron on May 23. Lawyer Victoria Hatfield represents Marin. Marin's other brothers, Angel, 34 and Artime Marin, 30, both of Marion Oaks, are presently at the jail. Their cases are ongoing.
Charges: Camacho-Negron, Andre Miller-McCreary and Derrick Pullens were each charged with conspiracy to traffic in cannabis, racketeering violation and trafficking in cannabis in excess of 25 ponds. Persaud was charged with conspiracy to traffic in cannabis.
Verdict: Miller-McCreary, Pullens and Persaud were not guilty, while Camacho-Negron was found guilty by a jury. Miller-McCreary has another pending charge of possession of alprazolam. That case is ongoing. Except for Camacho-Negron, the rest were free to go.
Sentence: For Camacho-Negron, his sentence was delayed so a Pre-Sentence Investigation, or PSI, can be completed.
Trial: Potential jurors met May 22 at the courthouse, and a six-member jury was selected on May 23. None of the men testified. Spanish interpreters were present for translation for Camacho-Negron. Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon presided over the trial.
Jurors began deliberations shortly after 4:30 p.m. on May 25. At 7:10 p.m., the judge dismissed the jury, telling them to return at 9 a.m. on May 26 to continue their discussions. The clerk the verdict at 2:37 p.m. on May 26.
Lawyers: Camacho-Negron, 48, of Ocala, was represented by David Anthony Wilson; Lee Leslie Fairchild was the lawyer for 39-year-old Miller-McCreary of Ocala; D. Gary Lashley was the lawyer for Pullens, 35, of Ocala; James Tarquin defended Persaud, 26, of Ocala. Assistant State Attorney Sam Armstrong prosecuted the case. Kirstie Scott assisted Armstrong.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Verdicts in for Ocala courthouse for last week of May
