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Press Releases

ICAC Arrest

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February 18, 2025

The Levy County Sheriff’s Office is an active participant in the North Florida ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force. On Friday, February 14, 2025 a lengthy investigation was concluded in a joint operation in conjunction with the Gainesville Police Department at a residence in Levy County with an Archer, Florida address. 

ICAC Detectives assigned to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division along with other ICAC Unit detectives arrested Julio Bernard Rodriguez (5/19/1991) for possession of child sexual abuse material. This arrest came about after an investigation was initiated upon receiving a Cyber Tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The Cyber Tip, initially investigated by the Gainesville Police Department ICAC Unit, determined Rodriguez was storing child sexual abuse material on an electronic device. Detectives with the Gainesville Police Department discovered Rodriguez resided in Levy County. The Gainesville Police Department forwarded their investigation to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division where an investigation was immediately opened. Based on this investigation Detectives obtained a search warrant for Rodriguez and his residence. 

Detectives executed the search and found a computer and cellphone belonging to Rodriguez contained child sexual abuse material. Rodriguez was arrested for 10 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of unlawful use of two-way device. Rodriguez was transported to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office Detention Bureau.

Rodriguez’s bond was set at $1.1 million dollars on Saturday, February 15, 2025.

ICAC investigations often start with cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Detectives gather information through subpoenas, search warrants and interviews. These investigations take weeks or months to gather sufficient evidence to bring a perpetrator to justice. The Levy County Sheriff’s Office is dedicated to combating crimes against children and is steadfast in this mission.

Shooting Investigation in Inglis

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February 7, 2025

Deputies responded to a home in Inglis yesterday evening around 8:00 p.m. to a report of a person shot. Arriving deputies discovered a child and adult female suffering from gunshot wounds inside the home. The initial investigation determined two children were playing in a room. One child accessed an unsecured firearm and the gun accidently discharged. The single round struck an adult female and the second child in the same room. Shands Cair airlifted both patients to a local trauma center. The child did not survive the injury and the female is listed in critical condition.

Detectives currently are diligently investigating this incident to determine how this tragic event occurred. The names of those involved in this incident are not being released at this time, as this investigation continues.

Sheriff McCallum asks the Inglis community to please lift this family in prayer as they have a long healing process ahead of them.    

Williston School Lock-Down

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January 4, 2025

This morning at approximately 9:30 a.m. a Williston Elementary School student reported seeing a person run by an outside window holding an object believed to be a gun. School officials immediately placed the school on lock-down and School Resource Deputies began searching the property. Additional LCSO deputies and Williston Police Officers arrived on scene to aid the SRO deputies in the search. A complete and thorough search of the entire campus was performed and no person who posed any threat to the campus was located. Information disseminated throughout the Williston area that this was an active shooter incident is INCORRECT.

Due to a potential threat on the campus of the Williston Elementary School, the Williston Middle/High School and the Joyce Bullock Elementary School were also placed on lock down.

The Levy County School Board and the Levy County Sheriff’s Office want to ensure every parent that the safety of our children while on our school campuses is top priority. The LCSO along with Williston Police Department responded to the campus in force. A full investigation and search of every building on the Williston Elementary School campus was completed quickly.

We understand parents immediately went to each campus to collect their child during the lock down. These parents were not allowed on campus adding more stress and confusion. For safety and security reasons students are not allowed to be removed from the campus during a lock-down.

High School Cheerleader Coach Arrested

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In December of 2023 administrators from the Chiefland Middle/High School reported suspected theft from fund raising activities hosted by the Chiefland Cheerleading team. The coach, Megan Del Castillo (8/7/90) was responsible for collecting and making deposits into the team accounts after fund raising efforts were complete. The deposits did not match expected earnings.

Detective Rob Bowers met with administrators and financial officers with the Levy County School Board and began an audit. Initial inquiries surmised the sales and fees versus deposits did not match and estimated over $11,000 was missing.

In February 2024 Detective Bowers met with Del Castillo who initially denied any wrongdoing. Shortly after this meeting Del Castillo amended her statement admitting she kept some monies, but nothing close to $11,000.  Del Castillo cooperated with Detective Bowers, participated in several meetings and offered documentation to assist the investigation. Del Castillo never produced documents to clarify these discrepancies and in April of 2024 could not be located by Detective Bowers for further comment.

Detective Bowers worked closely with the School Board Finance Department and issued subpoenas to several financial institutions as he furthered his investigation. In late November of 2024 the documentation was obtained to conduct a forensic audit of the fundraising accounts and those accounts owned by Del Castillo. Detective Bowers with the assistance of the finance department was able to determine $11,493.90 of funds derived from cheer fees, fundraisers and bus fees known to be delivered to Del Castillo were not deposited. These monies are believed to  be used for Del Castillo’s personal gain. He attempted to locate Del Castillo and discovered she had moved from the area. Numerous efforts to contact her failed.

In January of 2025 Detective Bowers secured a warrant for Del Castillo’s arrest for scheme to defraud. Del Castillo was located in Lake Placid, Florida and arrested by Highlands County Sheriff’s Office on this warrant. Her bond was set at $10,000 and no appearance in Levy County Courts has been scheduled as of this release.    

LCSO FINANCE MANAGER TERMINATED

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On January 6, 2025, Sheriff Bobby McCallum terminated the Levy County Sheriff’s Office Finance Director, Christina “Nicole” Gore.  The termination occurred after LCSO personnel discovered irregularities in credit card statements and other Agency funds.  Ms. Gore has been employed in the LCSO Finance Division since June of 2015.  She was promoted to Finance Director on December 30, 2019.  

At Sheriff McCallum’s request, the Gainesville Regional Office of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has begun a criminal investigation of the matter.  While Sheriff McCallum is very disappointed in what has occurred in this situation he will not be able to provide any significant details until the conclusion of the FDLE criminal investigation.  

Absconded Kentucky Sex Offender Arrested

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January 2, 2024

Lawrence Paggeot (2/4/62) notified Kentucky authorities of his intent to move to Marion County, Florida. He was told he must register his address with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office upon his arrival. Kentucky did not receive confirmation Paggeot registered in Florida and contacted MCSO. MCSO Detectives went to the address Paggeot provided Kentucky to find the property abandoned. MCSO discovered Paggeot was living at a residence in Levy County and contacted the LCSO Sex Offender Unit.

LCSO Detectives responded to 11190 SE 201 Street in Inglis and located Paggeot on 12/31/24. He initially gave detectives a false name but his true identity was soon discovered. Paggeot had not registered as a sex offender living in Levy County with the LCSO and was subsequently arrested. He is being held in the Levy County Detention Center in lieu of a $15,000.00 bond.

New Year’s Eve Homicide

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January 1, 2025

A New Year’s Eve domestic argument resulted in the death of Jeremy Miller, (50 yoa), from Chiefland. At approximately 5:00 p.m., deputies received a 911 call and responded to an address in Manatee Farms Subdivision. The 911 caller told dispatchers that two brothers were involved in an argument and one shot the other. Deputies arrived to find Jeremy Miller suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The suspect, Michael Miller (33 yoa), was hiding inside a shed on the property where they both lived. After a short stand off, Michael Miller surrendered to law enforcement. Michael Miller was charged with murder. He will be held in the Levy County Detention Center pending his first appearance in court.

Tactical Response Unit – After Action Report

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December 6, 2024

The Levy County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Response Unit (TRU) executed a search warrant at 10851 NE 109 Street in the University Oaks Subdivision yesterday afternoon. The warrant was seeking to apprehend a potentially armed and dangerous individual wanted in another jurisdiction and recover evidence related to that crime.

TRU team members made multiple PA announcements ordering any occupant of the home to exit peacefully. No individual was found inside the home after these announcements were made. Multiple items of evidence were seized from the home that will aid the investigation. The subject sought in this investigation was not found at the home and is believed to have fled this area. There is no known threat to our community.

We appreciate our community giving us the space needed to conduct this investigation. Many snapped pictures as they drove past to post on Social Media.  Comments that there was a barricaded subject at this home were incorrect. This was a well-planned operation giving top priority to our citizen’s in this community’s safety as well as our deputies. This operation was completed within a few hours and this neighborhood can now return to their quiet, peaceful lifestyle.

Dangerous Felon Apprehended

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November 22, 2024

The Levy County Sheriff’s Office along with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office was seeking to apprehend Julius Wright (9/20/97) of Bronson for multiple felony warrants. Wright was released from custody on 7/20/24 after an arrest for multiple thefts, home burglaries and weapons offenses and court ordered to remain at his residence in Bronson. The courts further ordered he wear an ankle monitoring device. Wright cut the monitoring device off several weeks ago and went on another crime spree.

Wright is a person of interest in multiple open burglary investigations the Levy County Sheriff’s Office is conducting in the Bronson and Williston area. In addition, the LCSO had secured six (6) warrants for his arrest for failure to appear in court from his arrest in July. The Alachua County Sheriff’s sought to apprehend Wright from a recent burglary investigation where he fled from ASO deputies and was able to avoid arrest.   

LCSO Detectives received a tip yesterday at 1:30 p.m. that Wright was seen entering a home in Bronson. Detectives arrived and secured the perimeter of the home, suspecting Wright was hiding inside. Wright is known to carry firearms and evidence was found that he was possibly in possession of a gun at the time the house was surrounded. This necessitated a response from the LCSO Tactical Response Unit when he would not surrender. LCSO sought assistance from the ASO SWAT team and a robot was used to safely search the home around 7:30 p.m. Wright was not found inside.

This did not end the search as Wright was found less than an hour later hiding in another home several blocks away. He was safely taken into custody and is being held in the Levy County Detention Center. Wright has additionally been charged with tampering with a court ordered monitoring device and resisting arrest. His bond has not yet been set.  

Drug Search Warrant Executed

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November 20, 2024

 

On November 4, 2024 members of the Levy County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at 10730 NE 114th St Archer, Florida.  The warrant concluded a month’s long investigation related to the sale of illegal narcotics at this residence. Detectives detained multiple people who were located inside the home and several individuals found inside various vehicles parked on the property.

   

The following subjects were arrested as a result of the search warrant and subsequent investigation:

 

Helen Leo (2/4/67) of Archer, the home owner, was arrested for possession of fentanyl more than 4 grams, possession of controlled substance without a prescription, possession of marijuana more than 20 grams, possession of methamphetamine over 14 grams, possession of weapon by a convicted felon, and possession of drug paraphernalia.  She is being held on a $275,000.00 bond.

Joseph Shirey (10/8/98) of Williston was located in a vehicle parked outside of the home.  He was arrested for possession drug paraphernalia. He posted a $3,000.00 bond and has been released. 

Gregory Hopkins (12/28/67) of Williston was located inside the home and arrested for resisting arrest without violence. He posted a $2,500.00 bond and has been released.

 

The following narcotics were seized by Detectives and the Crime Scene Unit during the search of the property:   

  • Methamphetamine – 256.59 grams
  • Fentanyl:  63.37 grams
  • Marijuana:  134.04 grams
  • Prescription pills including; Oxycodone, Morphine, Buprenorphine, Tramadol, and Lisinopril. 

In addition to the seized narcotics, a handgun along with ammunition was recovered from the home. Multiple items of drug paraphernalia including various plastic bags, scales, pipes, pill containers and Narcan, which is used when a person overdoses, was located and collected during the search of the property.