Jail inmate charged with hiring former inmate to kill Alachua woman

Ralph Waccary

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A sworn complaint has been filed against Ralph Jack Waccary, 63, an inmate in the Alachua County Jail, charging him with hiring a former jail inmate to kill an Alachua woman.

Waccary has been in the jail since December 23, 2021, charged with stalking, fraud, and extortion after allegedly filing a civil lien against a woman’s property, then telling her he would remove the lien if she had sexual intercourse with him. A judge had previously issued an injunction prohibiting Waccary from having contact with the woman because he had allegedly threatened to “bury” her after she called the police about a domestic disturbance, so Waccary was also charged with violating the injunction and stalking.

Michael Woulard was arrested on November 10, 2022, for a number of drug charges and for failing to register as a sexual predator. Six months later, he posted $475,000 bail.

After Woulard was released, a woman went to the Alachua Police Department (APD) to report that an unknown man had knocked on the door of her father’s house. Her father did not answer the door, but after the unknown man left, he opened the door and found a note with the name “Mike” and a phone number. Her father called the number, and the man, later identified as Woulard, reportedly told him that Waccary had given him the address and a description of his daughter’s vehicle and that Waccary had hired him to murder his daughter. Woulard also reportedly said that he didn’t know whether other former inmates had been asked to kill the woman, but he was sure Waccary had approached others with the same request.

An APD officer met with Woulard, who reportedly said that he had previously worked for Waccary at North Florida Regional Hospital and that he had assisted Waccary with what he called an organized system of theft from the hospital. Woulard said Waccary had arranged to bail him out of jail through a third party, and Woulard was released on May 30.

Woulard reportedly said Waccary believed that his case would be dropped if the woman was killed. Woulard said Waccary advised him to make it look like a robbery and then drive her car out of state. Waccary allegedly agreed to pay Woulard another $25,000 after the woman was dead and the case was dropped.

APD filed a sworn complaint against Waccary on September 12, charging him with criminal solicitation to commit a felony and attempted first-degree murder. Waccary has not yet had a First Appearance to set bail on the charges.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

  • Whoever his first appearance judge better not let this one out on bail. If he follows through with his threats to murder then that’s on the judge.

  • Woulard’s release was facilitated in the act of a felony.
    His bond should be revoked immediately for public safety.

    • And how exactly do you know this? Were you involved, or are you just making speculations about a Black man you didn’t want to see free? There was nothing felonious about him making bail.The congregation at a family member’s church worked together to make the needed funds. He’s doing well, is very active in the Church, and staying on the right side of the law. People make mistakes, and do bad things out of desperation sometimes. It doesn’t make them bad people.

  • Wow…Mr Woulard is trying to do the right thing. Whatever he may be, he is not a killer for hire.

  • How a man with a history of arson could be head of fire safety and plant ops —and head of all remodeling all of the towers? Major construction firms complained about him. No one listened. He hired sexual predators as day laborers to help him organize his theft ring.

    Perhaps the CEO (who is now head of all HCA in the division) who hired him should have consulted clinical psychologists and forensic psychologists to determine if someone with his criminal history should NOT be given such a high level job as head of plant operations but this hire was part of a Christian reform criminal program.

    Many, many, many good people left NFRMC because their complaints were not heard about this guy and/or he was protected at all cost(s). The powers to be knew he was a serious threat; kept and protected him. Employees with 10-20-30 years of stellar service were passed over or just left because of intolerable work conditions. The whole hospital knew he was a thief but who is gonna be too vocal with an arsonist. You think telling HR would be enough. HR had to cover the tracks of a bad hire.

    • That’s wild, had to look into this myself. Check out this 2009 article about Ralph Jack Waccary:

      https://www.floridatrend.com/article/5768/finding-work-as-an-ex-felon-is-daunting-obstacle

      “After some powerful people intervened, including Allison DeFoor [former Monroe County Sheriff] , Vicki Lopez Lukis [former convict and then vice-president of Florida Dept of Corrections’s Re-Entry Advisory Council], and Bob Spivey [FSU administrator who volunteers at the prison], and after a second interview in which they asked Waccary tough questions about his past and his rehabilitation, hospital administrators agreed that he deserved a chance.”

      “While each case needs to be carefully evaluated,” Dale Neely [CEO at at Capital Regional Medical Center] says, “we were satisfied that Mr. Waccary’s situation warranted a second chance and an opportunity to be part of our organization.”

      Definitely a wolf in sheep’s clothing–he easily fooled those who want to be fooled.

      • Multiple felonies for violence and arson yet he was hired on. People with minor misdemeanors and drug charges were rejected by HCA but this guy was given a second chance.

  • How lovely. Did the perp have a criminal record before the hospital hired him, or just after?

    • 2-3 x arsonist hired to be head of Plant Operations which included Fire Safety. It was well-known in every department that he was on drugs, stealing, accepting bribes from contractors, harassing veteran employees, harassing vendors, etc. but he was protected at all costs by the administration. The relief when he finally left or fired. It’s one thing for second chances but a guy with his extensive lifelong history of criminal behavior including arson—who often have the most compulsive of behaviors.
      No one could figure out why the admin would protect this guy at all costs. The person who hired him is now head of all the division. Imagine the morale and safety with him hiring sexual predators as day labors.

      Shouldn’t the hospital be investigated for illegal kickbacks and other criminal activities?

      The victim needs to be protected to the highest level —

  • The Alachua Chronicle has THE BEST comments section. I learn something every time. This is the ONLY publication that has such an engaged readership. Well done.

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