Ocala courts: Guilty verdict in grand theft case; probation for felony battery
Two cases were resolved at the Marion County Judicial Center last week: one with a trial and one with a plea bargain.
On Oct. 12, a jury found Joseph Wilkins guilty of grand theft and burglary of a dwelling. Prosecutors dropped a third charge: driving while license is suspended or revoked.
Documents indicate that Wilkins was taken back to the Marion County Jail, where he will remain until he's sentenced. Wilkins, 53, of Belleview, has been at the county lockup since December 2019.
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In 2019, Wilkins and Sean Barry Scott were taken into custody after sheriff's deputies found thousands of dollars worth of stolen televisions, jewelry and other goods in their pickup truck, according to the arrest report. The vehicle was stopped by a deputy who noticed Wilkins was driving with a suspended license.
Scott, 34, of Ocala, and Wilkins were taken to a sheriff's office for interviews. There, Wilkins told a detective he thought he was assisting Scott in getting property from a residence.
Scott was sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by two years of probation, for grand theft, burglary of a dwelling and fraudulent use of personal identification information.
State v. Jamell Crowley
Jamell Crowley pleaded no contest to felony battery and was sentenced to three years of probation, according to a plea deal between the State Attorney's Office and the man's lawyer.
Charges of sexual battery and battery were dropped by prosecutors, court records show. Crowley has credit for 373 days spent at the county jail.
The plea bargain, which was accepted on Oct. 10, also calls for Crowley to attend an anger management course and undergo a mental health evaluation. Jail records show the 30-year-old man was released from the jail on Oct. 10.
The Ocala man was arrested by Ocala police officers, who were told Crowley sexually battered, severely beat and humiliated a woman.
A police detective had interviewed the victim at a local hospital, where she was being treated for her injuries.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Jury in Ocala, Florida finds man guilty in grand theft case
