Suspended Florida Sheriff Tied to $21M Gambling Network
A new affidavit claims suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez helped expand and protect an illegal gambling ring that generated over $21 million
Rumor Has It: Ocala’s Haunted Hotspots
OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Ocala has a long history of haunted locations and spooky hotspots. Locals have spread these tales throughout time, however, whether they’re true or not is up for debate. Here are some of Ocala’s reported hotspots for paranormal activities and apparatus sightings. 1. Fort...
Ocala officials voting on $508,000 contract for holiday lights
The Ocala City Council will vote on a three-year contract worth $508,000 on Tuesday for the provision of holiday décor and lighting services for its Light Up holiday and annual lighting program, which returns in two months. On Tuesday, council members will vote on a new contract with Shellard...
Ocala Man Convicted Of Home Invasion In ‘The Villages,’ Faces Decades In Prison
MARION COUNTY, Fla. —A Marion County jury has found Robert Leroy Connor II, 57, of Ocala, guilty on all charges related to a violent home invasion and robbery that took place in The Villages in June 2023. The verdict was handed down on Friday, September 12, 2025, in the courtroom of Judge Timothy McCourt.
SWAT team conducts drug bust at home in Belleview
BELLEVIEW, Fla. (WCJB) - Marion County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team members detained several people during an investigation in Belleview on Monday morning. Sheriff’s office officials confirm members of the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) were on scene near Lake Lillian to execute a search warrant....
Homeless man hides cocaine in backseat of deputy’s patrol vehicle
A homeless man in Leesburg who was arrested on a drug-related warrant received more charges for cocaine he hid in a deputy’s patrol vehicle. Deputies were looking for someone involved in a hit-and-run when they noticed 38-year-old David Austin Williams standing in the tree line on Northen Avenue in Leesburg at 9:30...
Teen identified after allegedly punching man and fleeing on foot
A teen has been identified after allegedly punching a man and fleeing on foot. The man was in the front yard of his residence in the 400 block of Huey Street working on his lawn mower when he was approached by 18-year-old Emmanuel Joseph Nicolas, who resides in a rental development in the Beaumont Development on...
Stranded mom, twins grateful to Ocala police for helping after car troubles on I-75
A mother from Columbia County who was traveling with her twins and sister on Interstate 75 says that when the family’s car began acting up, they pulled over in Ocala, where Ocala Police Department officers pushed the car to safety, diagnosed the problem, and drove them to get a part to fix the vehicle.
Jury selection begins in trial of man accused of killing his husband in Marion...
OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - A man accused of killing his husband in Ocala is getting closer to facing a jury. Herbert Swilley is accused of murdering his husband, Timothy Smith, in March of 2023. His trial has been pushed back multiple times, but now jury selection will start Monday morning.
Popular concert series in west Ocala ends after multi-year run
Despite qualifying to bypass a public vote and automatically receive a grant to continue the Levitt AMP Music Series in west Ocala, the city has ended its multi-year run of the free, family-friendly concert series. According to the Ocala Cultural Arts department, a former employee applied for the last three-year...
