OCALA, Fla. — A suspect is in custody and another is sought by authorities after they dumped 2,780 pounds of trash at Ocala National Forest earlier this month, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
FWC officers investigated a report from the Marion County Litter Task Force regarding illegal dumping on June 3.
The dumpsite contained household trash, furniture and appliance, the agency said. Officers found information linking the garbage to an Ocala address that had a code enforcement case through the city of Ocala, had images of the same trash loaded on a trailer in their lawn.
Gary Cardwell, 41, was arrested on felony charges of littering exceeding 100 cubic feet or 500 pounds or for commercial purposes, and possession of methamphetamine. According to the FWC, Cardwell told officers he was the one who dumped the items. Cardwell has been banned from the Ocala National Forest for one year.
FWC said another suspect is Johnny Reese, who assisted Cardwell with dumping the garbage in the forest and "is at large." He has a warrant issued for a felony dumping charge.
“Cases like this often go unsolved,” Lt. Swain Seiler of the FWC's Northeast Region said in a press release. “We were able to close this one quickly due to the relationship we have with our partners at the Marion County Litter Task Force and the dogged determination of two hard-working FWC officers. Officers Wade Constance and Drew Aultman covered a lot of miles, chased every lead, conducted several interviews, and wouldn’t give up until they had their guy.”
Anyone with information regarding the location of Reese is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 352-368-7867 or the Marion County Sheriff's Office nonemergency line at 352-732-9111.