Two men arrested and charged in connection with the killing of a third person were sentenced to prison on Monday a part of plea bargains.
Jordan Matthew Neal and Jeovanni Alexis Pulgarin appeared separately in front of Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon at the Marion County Judicial Center.
Handcuffed and wearing a Marion County jail uniform, Pulgarin was first at the podium with his lawyers, Jack Maro of Ocala and Charles Greene of Tampa.
The 24-year-old man faced multiple charges including principal to murder in the second-degree, principal to attempted robbery with a firearm and trafficking in cocaine.
Herndon accepted Pulgarin’s plea of no contest and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
As part of his negotiated plea agreement, Pulgarin cannot have any contact with anyone associated with the case, such as the co-defendant. He has 310 days of credit for time already served at the county jail.
Next was Jordan Matthew Neal, who appeared with his Ocala-based lawyer, David Mengers.
Dressed in a suit and tie, Neal, 21, was charged with second-degree murder/killing by a third party and attempted robbery with a firearm.