Gainesville man sentenced to 22 months in prison for ramming victim’s vehicle

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Marlin D. Roper, 32, has been sentenced to 22 months in state prison, followed by 3 years of probation, after entering a plea of nolo contendere to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

On October 15, 2025, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to the 3600 block of SW 13th Street, where the victim said she and Roper had been arguing by text message while she was at work, and Roper drove to her workplace with a two-month-old infant in his vehicle. The victim said that when she left work, Roper followed her in his vehicle and intentionally rammed her vehicle several times. The deputy reported that the damage on the victim’s vehicle was consistent with her story.

Deputies located Roper at a family member’s residence and found his vehicle parked in the yard, with front-end damage that was consistent with the victim’s story. The engine was warm to the touch, and Roper had the keys in his possession.

Today, Roper entered a plea of nolo contendere to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon; according to the plea document, the maximum sentence for the charge is 15 years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, a child abuse charge was dropped.

Roper was adjudicated guilty, and Judge James Colaw sentenced him to 22 months in state prison with 13 days’ credit, followed by three years of probation. Roper must also complete a batterers’ intervention program, obtain a mental health evaluation and follow any recommended treatment plan, have no contact with the victim, and have no unsupervised contact with minors.