Two men arrested for illegal dumping in Marion County

Two men were recently arrested for allegedly dumping nearly 3,000 pounds of trash in the Ocala National Forest, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Gary Cardwell and Johnny Reese were charged with illegal dumping after the Marion County Litter Task Force discovered a dumping site in the Ocala National Forest containing 2,780 pounds of household trash during a June 3 investigation. Cardwell was also charged with drug possession. Reese was tracked down and arrested Monday afternoon. Both individuals were booked into the Marion County Jail. According to the release, FWC officials found information linking the trash to an Ocala address that has a building code violation under investigation with the city of Ocala. The file included pictures of the same trash loaded onto a trailer on their lawn, which linked the suspects to the dumping site. Reese is allegedly the owner of the truck and trailer used for the illegal dumping, according to the FWC. “Cases like this often go unsolved,” said Lt. Swain Seiler of the Northeast Region. “Thanks to our great relationships with our partners at the Marion County Litter Task Force and the tireless determination of two hard-working FWC officers, we were able to close this case quickly. Officers Wade Constance and Drew Aultman traveled many miles, followed every lead, conducted multiple interviews and did not give up until they got their man.” Illegal dumping is a common occurrence in Marion County, particularly in the Ocala National Forest, the FWC said. The garbage found was cleaned up and removed by Marion County Solid Waste Management.