Prosecutors have filed murder charges for Jan. 1, 2023 shooting that left two dead
The State Attorney's Office has filed charges against a man in connection with shooting deaths at the beginning of 2023. And federal officials announced they prosecuted close to 2,000 people in 2023 in child exploitation cases.
Here's what we know:
State v. Jones
When: Dec. 27.
Hearing: Arraignment.
Judge: Circuit Judge Peter Brigham.
Defendant: Lebron Mondale Jones, 19, of Anthony.
Lawyers: Assistant State Attorney Yaveth Parodi and Assistant Public Defender Theodore Riquelme. Jones has not yet hired a lawyer.
Charges: Two counts of second-degree murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder and one count of attempt second-degree murder, principal.
What happened in court? Prosecutors have officially signaled their intention to move forward with the case. The next hearing for Jones is a pre-trial conference that's slated for early 2024 in front of Circuit Judge Robert Hodges.
Why was Jones arrested? Abdul Hakeem Croskey, 24, and 30-year-old DaMonta J. Harris were gunned down Jan. 1, 2023 in the 1600 block of Southwest Fifth Street, where a block party was being held. Four others were treated for gunshot wounds. Numerous shell casings were recovered from the street. Ocala police officials believe the casings came from at least three guns.
Information gathered by detectives led them to Jones, who was taken into custody in November. Jones is presently at the county jail, where he is being held without bail. He has other pending criminal charges against him.
Detectives are confident there was more than one shooter. The investigation continues.
Any information about this shooting should be reported to (352) 369-7000 or Crime Stoppers at (352) 368-STOP or www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.
Federal government
Lawyers for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, which includes Marion County, said in a press release on Dec. 28 that their office has prosecuted more than 1,500 people as part of Project Safe Neighborhood. The initiative, launched in 2006, is aimed at protecting children from abuse and sex exploitation.
U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg thanked law enforcement officials and attorneys for their work and efforts in standing by the victims and successfully putting a stop to this unwarranted behavior toward children.
Among those arrested was Eddie Joe Oglesby, who has been sentenced to 80 years in federal prison on charges of producing and receiving child sex abuse materials, government officials said.
Authorities said the 53-year-old Fort McCoy man pretended to be a federal agent when tricking girls to produce and send him sexual images over the internet. When they refused, he threatened them with arrest, jail or death.
When federal officials searched his residence, they found a runaway juvenile girl and 473 pages of electronic chats on Oglesby's phone between him and a victim. Several law enforcement agencies, including the Marion County Sheriff's Office, participated in the investigation.
In court: Marion County judge denies bail for former corrections officer accused in fatal stabbing
Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah J. Nowalk prosecuted the case. Local defense lawyer David Mengers represented Oglesby.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Anthony man charged by prosecutors with Jan. 1, 2023 shooting deaths
