Partly Cloudy, 77°
Weather sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Police briefs 6/29/17

Clay County Sheriff's Office
Posted 6/28/17

Area man facing workers’ comp fraudORANGE PARK – The manager of an Orange Park area pizzeria faces felony charges for having cancelled his business’ workers’ compensation …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Don't have an ID?


Print subscribers

If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.

Non-subscribers

Click here to see your options for subscribing.

Single day pass

You also have the option of purchasing 24 hours of access, for $1.00. Click here to purchase a single day pass.

Police briefs 6/29/17


Posted

Gun theft, burglary charges for Green Cove Springs man
LAKE ASBURY – A Green Cove Springs man faces charges of stealing two guns from his roommate and then pawning them at a shop in Jacksonville.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Blaike Christian Shine, 26, on June 25, at his job at a Lake Asbury restaurant after obtaining a warrant for his arrest.
The investigation dates back to April 18 when Shine told his roommate that he didn’t feel well and wouldn’t need a ride to work with him that day.
When the victim returned to his home in the 3000 block of Ryans Court that day after work, he told police something didn’t feel right. The victim found that after he searched for his guns – which he has shown to Shine – they were missing.
CCSO conducted a pawn shop history search, which led them to Partner’s N’ Pawn and Jewelry on 103rd Street in Jacksonville where they recovered the stolen weapons, which were valued at $1,050. Police said the pawn transaction occurred on May 15, more than a month after the victim reported them missing.
Shine was booked into the Clay County Jail, where he remained at press time. His bond is set at $60,006. He faces one count each of burglary and grand theft of a firearm.

Convicted felon facing new gun charges
ORANGE PARK – What’s usually considered a quiet neighborhood changed quickly on June 24 when a 20-year-old man allegedly fired at least three shots at a vehicle.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Michael Scott Rojas on June 24 at 10 p.m. after sorting out details from three victims in the case.
According to the police report, when officers arrived, they saw Rojas “fleeing on foot towards the back of his residence, where we observed him attempting to enter his residence.”
When officers caught up with Rojas, they found spent rounds in his right front pocket, read him his rights and began interviews to carry out the investigation.
The victims told police they had been at Rojas’ home and when they got into their car to leave, they saw Rojas pull a handgun from his pants’ waistband. The victims said Rojas pulled out the gun and shot at the car while they sped off. “The defendant stopped in front of their vehicle and discharged two more rounds towards their vehicle,” states the report.
Police said Rojas missed the fleeing car, but one shot struck a nearby parked car and caused approximately $200 in damage.
CCSO brought in a police dog to help search for Rojas’ firearm, but were not successful in locating the weapon.
Rojas, who has a previous conviction for robbery and felony battery is charged with aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, shooting into a dwelling, criminal mischief, possession of a weapon or ammo by a convicted felon.
At press time, he remained in the Clay County Jail where his bond is set at $130,011.

Man charged with soliciting teen for sex
OAKLEAF – A 21-year-old man faces two felony charges after a Clay County Sheriff’s Office investigation found he solicited a 13-year-old girl for sex using the internet.
Police arrested Anthony Mark Jacobs on June 23 after launching an investigation on May 30 when the victim told detectives that Jacobs had sent her lewd images and asked her to have sex with him.
According to the police report, the girl admitted having sent Jacobs “lewd images” of herself as well and also told police that she let Jacobs know up front that she was 13-years-old.
Police said the victim complied when Jacobs asked her to send him photographs of her bare breast and body. She said Jacobs responded with at least six photos of his bare erection. Police also used text messaging conversation between the victim and Jacobs in investigating the crime.
Jacobs was booked into the Clay County Jail on one count each of using a computer to seduce solicit or lure a minor for sex and transmission of material harmful to a minor via an electronic device. By press time, Jacobs was free from jail on an undisclosed bond.

Misdemeanor dropped, felony moves ahead
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Authorities have dropped a misdemeanor theft charge lodged against a Green Cove Springs man in early June as his case weaves its way through the courts.
The Green Cove Springs Police Department arrested Tony Lee Troutman, 37, on June 1 at 4:25 p.m. after an investigation that began May 11.
Police initially charged Troutman with petit theft and grand theft auto, but are now only pursuing the auto theft charge.
According to the arrest warrant, on May 11, a delivery driver for Hungry Howie’s pizza went to a home at 206 Citizen St. where she saw three men “standing in the yard on the property,” states the arrest warrant. The driver told police that one of the men said he was the one who ordered the pizza, so she approached him and he “handed her what she later realized was a counterfeit $50 bill,” states the warrant. “The counterfeit $50 bill was noticeably fake it was actually play money, from what appeared to be a child’s board game.”
The victim said when she was dealing with accepting the fake money transaction, another one of the three men walked around to the driver’s side of her delivery vehicle, cranked it and drove off. She told police that she chased after the car and while she did, she saw the other two men run into a home at the corner of Citizen Street.
Inside the car was $50 in previous pizza sales, the victim’s cell phone and a cell phone charger. On May 19, an anonymous tip led police to Troutman and another man named Timothy “Chunky” Brown. The victim later identified Troutman using photos.
At press time, Troutman remained in the Clay County Jail where his bond is set at $25,003.

Officer-involved shooting injures shooter
MELROSE – Officials said the 47-year-old Melrose man that was wounded June 23 in a deputy-involved shooting remains under treatment at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, George Robert Nelson was firing his shotgun in the yard at a home on Lake Echo Ridge Drive. When deputies arrived, Nelson came outside and pointed the gun at one of the deputies. Neither of the two deputies who went to the home were injured in the incident and both have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure.
The deputies fired and hit Nelson multiple times. He was airlifted to the hospital about 2:15 p.m.
As is standard practice in police-involved shootings, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is currently investigating the shooting, according to CCSO spokeswoman Angela Spears.
No further details have been released as the shooting is considered an active investigation.

CCSO needs help in April daytime theft
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Detectives with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office need help from the community to find four men who entered Toys R Us, 1972 Wells Rd., on April 28 and stole several iPods. Two suspects distracted employees, while the third picked the lock on an electronics storage room.
The suspects stole 19 Apple iPods. They are believed to be part of a larger group that has been committing similar crimes at Toys R Us stores in other states.
If you have any information about the suspects, please contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at (904) 264-6512.

Detectives looking for two suspects
GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Detectives with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office are looking for two suspects in connection with a theft at Sunglass Hut in the Orange Park Mall. On May 13 at 3:20 p.m., two black males, believed to be 45 to 55 years of age, entered the store.
Police said one suspect distracted the sales associate, while the other – who was wearing a camouflage baseball cap with a U.S. Marine Corp insignia – stole two pair of Gucci sunglasses, a pair of Prada sunglasses and a pair of Versace sunglasses. The designer glasses are worth $1,290.
Detectives believe the suspects also stole four pair of designer sunglasses, worth more than a $1,000 from the same store on Feb. 28.
If you have any information about the suspects, please contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office at (904) 264-6512.

Green Cove Springs man sentenced on child porn charges

JACKSONVILLE – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced James Donald Jacola, 54, Green Cove Springs to five years in federal prison for receiving images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children over the internet. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit his computer equipment.

According to court documents and information disclosed in court, FBI agents began an online undercover investigation to identify individuals who were using a particular website to access images and videos depicting child pornography. The agents determined that Jacola, using the pseudonym “mooncalf,” had accessed this website. On March 10, 2016, a search warrant was executed at Jacola’s residence and agents seized two computers. Forensic analyses of the computers revealed that they contained at least 3 videos and at least 784 images depicting child pornography. One of these videos depicted a toddler being molested; it had been downloaded and viewed twice by Jacola on the day before the agents executed the search warrant.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.