Two 19-year-old Fort McCoy men were arrested after they were allegedly caught with weapons stolen from Ford F-150 trucks parked in Ocala driveways.
According to a report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, handguns, cash, and other items were stolen from Ford F-150’s during two separate incidents over the summer.
The first incident occurred on Thursday, July 29 in northeast Ocala. A victim reported a gun, cash, and a power drill were all stolen from his pickup truck. The victim said his vehicle was left unlocked overnight.
During a separate incident on Wednesday, August 18, a handgun and cash were stolen out of a truck parked outside of a southeast Ocala residence. During that incident, the victim also reported leaving his vehicle unlocked overnight.
On Tuesday, detectives made contact with Johnathin Hoffman and Daniel Labranche after being tipped off during a separate investigation. The officers were given consent to search Hoffman and Labranche’s rooms.
During the search, multiple firearms were retrieved. Two of the firearms were identified as the stolen handguns. Without being questioned, Hoffman identified some of the firearms as not being “stolen.”
Although Hoffman originally stated he did not know where one of the stolen firearms came from, he later advised he purchased it from Donavin Rising.
According to police records, Rising was shot and killed on August 6, which would have made the purchase impossible.
Labranche refused to speak with MCSO detectives, according to the report.
Hoffman and Labranche were arrested on Tuesday and transported to the Marion County jail. Both face multiple charges, including armed burglary of a dwelling or conveyance. Hoffman’s bond is set at $32,000 and Labranche’s bond is set at $30,000. They are both next due in court on Tuesday, October 26 at 9 a.m., according to jail records.