Ocala courthouse: Life in prison for child sex case and 10-year term for robbery/burglary
A jury found one man guilty during a trial last week at the Marion County Judicial Center, and another man elected not to take his chance with a trial and instead resolved his case with a plea bargain.
Brian Carl Vanepps was sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty by jurors on Wednesday, prosecutors said.
Vanepps was adjudicated guilty by Circuit Judge Peter Brigham on charges of sexual battery and lewd, lascivious molestation on a child younger than 12.
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Arrest
The 38-year-old was deemed a sexual predator. His trial lasted a day, officials said.
In January 2018, Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies were told that a man had molested a child.
The victim was interviewed at Kimberly's Center for Child Protection, where she told officials that Vanepps had touched her several times, according to his arrest report.
Vanepps was found by sheriff's deputies and questioned about the girl's statement. He denied touching her.
Released on bond, Vanepps was re-arrested last month when he failed to show up for a hearing relating to his case, according to court documents. He has been locked up at the Marion County Jail since his latest arrest.
State records show the Ocala man has a conviction for aggravated battery on a pregnant woman.
A plea bargain
Two days before Vanepps' trial, Freddie Lee Honor Jr. was scheduled for jury selection on charges of principal to robbery with a firearm and principal to aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Instead, Honor, who also was facing multiple charges of principal to burglary of a conveyance while armed and other offenses, decided to skip the process. He entered a plea of no contest and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for all of his charges, according to court records.
Presently in the jail, Honor has 669 days of credit for time already served while at the facility.
Arrests
The 20-year-old Ocala man was first arrested by law enforcement officials in March 2020 in connection with the shooting and robbery of a teenage boy in Ocala.
A second person, 20-year-old Keiunte Cooper, who allegedly was involved with the incident, was also apprehended, according to authorities. He's facing charges of robbery with a firearm and aggravated battery with a firearm. His case is ongoing, court records show.
Law officials arrested a third person, whose charges were dropped due to witness issues, court records indicate.
In August 2020, sheriff's deputies and Ocala police officers arrested Honor and several teens in connection with a string of vehicle burglaries in both the city and county.
The group members were accused of snatching valuables from multiple unlocked vehicles.
One member of the group, Edward Johnson, 19, of Ocala, pleaded guilty earlier this month and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
Another member, now 17, is awaiting resolution to his case, court records show. His name is not being released by the Star-Banner because of his age.
No information could be located in the court records for the other two individuals, who at the time of arrest were juveniles.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala, Florida felony court cases resolved with prison terms
