Crime & Public Safety
Ocala man sentenced after search uncovers bulk Fent, cocaine; DVR footage tied to sales
Federal authorities say an Ocala residence was the site of large-scale drug possession and distribution activity that led to a recent federal prison sentence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that a 46-year-old man, Jimmy Deon Lofton, has been sentenced to eight years and one month in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute multiple contr substance.
According to court records, the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team executed a search warrant at the Ocala home on July 1, 2025. Agents recovered approximately 173 grams of Fent, 31 grams of Methamp, 260 grams of MDMA, and more than 1,000 grams of cocaine. Investigators reported some of the drugs were buried inside an ammunition can in the backyard.
UDEST obtained and executed a separate warrant for the property’s home security DVR. Prosecutors say the footage showed numerous instances of the defendant packaging and selling contr substance at the residence; those recordings were cited in the guilty plea. The search-day arrest resulted in the defendant being booked into Marion County Jail. Records indicate he was released in mid‑September 2025, returned to custody weeks later, and remained jailed until sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration; the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. The sentencing followed the defendant’s guilty plea entered in May 2026. No additional arrests or charges were reported in the materials provided.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.