Gainesville man sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading to drug and firearm charges
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Ernest Rayford Lara Jr., 35, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after entering a plea of nolo contendere to three drug felonies, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, and two misdemeanors.
Lara was originally arrested on August 11, 2025, on an arrest warrant that was issued after a search warrant was executed at his apartment on May 8, 2024. The search warrant was related to a child pornography investigation, and Joseph Carnes, the original target of the search warrant, was arrested on the day the search warrant was executed. Carnes was eventually sentenced to two years in state prison and was released on January 23, 2026.
After officers found firearms in plain view, including a short-barreled shotgun in Lara’s bedroom, a new warrant was sought and obtained. That search reportedly produced a THC wax machine, 47.5 grams of marijuana, 17.5 grams of cocaine, a 9mm pistol, a High Point 10mm rifle, magazines, and ammunition. Lara initially gave officers a fake name to avoid an arrest warrant out of Orange County.
Lara was originally charged with two counts of possession of drugs with intent to sell, maintaining a structure for the purpose of selling drugs, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, possession of drug paraphernalia, and giving a false identification to a law enforcement officer. At the time of his arrest, he had one felony conviction (non-violent) and two misdemeanor convictions (one violent) and was facing a misdemeanor battery charge out of Hernando County.
On January 29, Lara entered a plea of nolo contendere to all six charges; the plea document states that the maximum sentence for the charges is 52 years in prison. Judge James Colaw sentenced him to four concurrent sentences of 18 months in state prison, with credit for 72 days served, for the four felony charges, and he sentenced him to two concurrent sentences of 72 days in jail, with credit for 72 days served, for the misdemeanor charges.
He either snitching BIG TIME or is related to Netanyahu somehow
This is why cases like this should be referred to the US Attorneys Office for Federal gun charges when drugs are involved. It is ridiculous that he pleads and is given such a light sentence. Even if snitched 52 years doesn’t add up to 18 months. He will go right back to it in 18 months get busted again and get another deal.
Too bad he wasn’t on a drug runner boat in the Caribbean instead 🫣😵💫😵
On a good note, WHEN he violates parole, he’ll have to serve all 50+ years.