"Evidentiary Issues:” Man Avoids Trials in Two Attempted Second Degree Murder Cases, Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison
Jeremiah Charles White, 26, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in a negotiated plea agreement for his two attempted second-degree murder cases. The plea was based on "evidentiary issues,” court records show. In one of White’s cases (Case 1) he was charged alongside three co-defendants.
Case 1
On July 17, 2022, Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers responded to the area of 100 W. University Ave. in reference to downtown bars closing and crowd control.
It was around 2:30 a.m., just past Saturday night. Officer Isaac Sutton reported that “there were hundreds of people in the surrounding parking lots and on the roadway who were in the process of leaving the area.”
According to the arrest report, at 2:34 a.m., approximately 15 shots were discharged from a gray Kia Soul. Several bystanders were walking or standing within 1,000 feet of the vehicle. The shooting prompted panic from the crowd and people in the area started trying to run towards a safe location.
A GPD Facebook post on the incident states officers had to “duck for cover.” The post confirms that no one was hit by gunfire.
Officers observed the Kia traveling East onto NW 1st St. and then northbound on Main St. A chase ensued, with multiple patrol vehicles following the Kia with their sirens activated. The occupants only stopped after crashing at 3100 N. Main St., causing an estimate of $8,000 in damages. Several uniformed officers converged on the vehicle but the occupants fled on foot and disregarded commands to stop.
Officers used a K-9 to track the defendants and located them in the area. Officers recovered two firearms in the area.
Officer Isaac Sutton reported that “investigation revealed all the [defendants] were together while they were shooting from the vehicle. One of the projectiles hit one vehicle in the rear windshield…”
Officers arrested Young along with the three other occupants of the vehicle, Akwan Naziek Sincir Osborne, Joseph J. Cromwell III, and Austin Gregory Dow. All were initially charged with attempted first-degree murder, along with other charges relating to the incident.
Dow’s case is still open, and he also has an additional case, both of which are set to go to trial soon. For this incident, Dow faces charges of attempted second-degree murder, discharging a firearm from a vehicle, possession of a weapon or ammunition as a convicted felon, and resisting an officer without violence. Jury selection is scheduled for July 6. For his other case, which stems from a March 2022 shooting, Dow faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Jury selection is scheduled for August 3.
Prosecutors dropped the homicide charges that Cromwell and Osborne were facing about a month after their arrests. Both pled no contest to resisting and gun charges in exchange for a probation sentence, with the condition that they agree to “testify truthfully” at any court proceedings involving their co-defendants. Osborne was sentenced to ten years of probation. Cromwell was sentenced to five years of probation. Both faced probation violation proceedings but were allowed to continue. Cromwell's probation was terminated early.
On July 17, 2023, White’s mother sent an email to the court that questioned why he was being prosecuted more aggressively than Osborne and Cromwell, and also raised concerns about her son’s court-appointed attorney, Stephen Bernstein.
“I have been trying to get an understanding on the above case number that involves my son. I do have a power of attorney for my son giving me rights to speak on his behalf and to obtain information on his behalf. As of today my son has been in the Alachua County jail for [one year] and has not been interviewed by his appointed counsel Steven Bernstein. Jeremiah has had two minute conversations with the appointed attorney and was told that he would come and see him. I have called and left several messages for the attorney trying to get an update on the case. When I do get a chance to speak to Mr. Bernstein there is no information other than he's really busy and he has more important cases to deal with, and he apologies and says he will definitely get with Jeremiah to go over any information that he has but he never gets to him. The only time we get to see him is at court when Jeremiah is brought out for those two minutes to be told it's a continuance… Mr. Bernstein will then turn to Jeremiah and say he will be to see him and that never happens. I am requesting information as to how many times a case can be continued and how long does it take to get interviewed by your attorney? We don't want anymore issues but it was four people in this case and two of the four were released months ago–over seven months ago. Please help us understand, as we are being patient, but we just want to know something concerning my son Jeremiah White’s case. The motion that was filed today for [a continuance] case management has other people's names listed as Mr. Williams, and of course my son's last name is White? It has April 19, 2023 in the paragraph and I tried calling the attorney again today and I left a message trying to see what's going on? I have been told every month that depositions are being set but that doesn't happen either. Please advise.”
Case 2
On July 3, 2022, around 3:00 a.m., a suspect was observed on surveillance footage standing on the sidewalk of 1010 W. University Ave. firing a handgun across W. University Ave., striking a parked vehicle.
Detective Desiree Russano reviewed surveillance footage of the shooting and described the suspect as a “tall, slim build, medium complexion black male with a goatee (somewhat long under the chin) and ‘fade’ hair style. The shooter is wearing dark colored shorts (above the knee, somewhat tight fitting), a very light or white colored t-shirt that was relatively tight-fitting with a dark in color logo (small) on the left chest. The shooter is wearing apparently all white shoes and white socks that fit above his ankles.”
Describing the video, Russano reported that it “shows that the shooter removes a handgun from his waistband/appendix area, using his right hand, and shoots twice into a crowd of people south, across W. University Ave. The shooter then turns west, tucks the firearm back into his waistband and hurries out of frame among the chaos of people running for safety.
GPD officers located 9mm shell casings at the scene that were submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for testing.
On July 8, 2022, a shooting occurred near the Clarence R. Kelly Community Center. Describing the surveillance video, Russano reported that it “showed a dark colored vehicle drive westbound past the area of 1700 NE 8th Ave shooting southbound. There were two individuals walking in the area where the shots were being fired, assumed to be the intended targets. The Clarence R Kelly building sustained two gunshot impacts. (GPD[Case Report #]02-22-010088). GPD officers located 9mm shell casings from the scene that were submitted to FDLE for processing. Video did not show the intended targets return fire.”
Russano then transitions into the events of “Case 1” (GPD Case Report #02-22 010571), and reports further information about the incident. Russano reported, “GPD Ofc. Sutton's dash camera was recording and shows that the occupant that fled from the rear passenger seat was wearing apparently all white sneakers with white socks over his ankles. All four passengers [were] located and transported to GPD where [I] interviewed all of them. The back passenger seat [occupant] was identified as [White].”
Following the July 17, 2022 shooting, officers located a 9mm Springfield handgun in the area of N. Main St and NE 4th Ave. “The handgun was located on the east side of the road, what would be the passenger side of a vehicle travelling northbound on N Main St,” reported Russano. “The Kia in which [White] was a passenger travelled north on N Main St past NE 4th Ave after the shooting. Co-Defendants of [White] in 02-22-010571 identified the Springfield firearm as having been in [White]’s possession [the prior day] and in the hours leading up to the shooting… Surveillance video shows the Kia Soul driving northbound on NW 1st St from W. University Ave and abruptly driving onto the sidewalk. Muzzle flash can be seen coming from the open, rear passenger window. GPD officers located 9mm casings in the area where the shooting occurred. The shell casings were submitted to FDLE for processing.”
In August 2023, Russano received test results from the FDLE that connected the Springfield firearm to all three shootings. This led her to obtaining White’s phone data from July 2, 2022–July 18, 2022, which showed he was in the area of the shootings at the times they occurred.
Russano reported that the shootings were gang-related, stating, “[I have] knowledge that [White] associates with the Phoenix area/neighborhood, a group of individuals with an on-going tension and open opposition to and with individuals who frequent the area of Gardenia/ 8th Ave (that have been known to identify as ‘KIG’) where the Clarence R. Kelly building is located. Investigation revealed that the target of the shooting on July 17, 2022 was a male known to [White] and the other Kia passengers as a member of the ‘8th Ave’ or ‘KIG’ gang. [White] associates with another group of individuals that have ongoing tension and conflict with ‘KIG.’ Based on [my] knowledge of local gang activity and the fact that a ‘drive by’ shooting targeting pedestrians on/around ‘8th Ave’ is likely gang related, [I maintain] a belief that the person/people responsible for the July 8, 2022 shooting were likely from an opposing gang.”
Russano also reported that White cannot legally possess a firearm as a convicted felon.
Plea Deal
White’s plea agreement was accepted by Judge Susanne Wilson Bullard and signed by Assistant State Attorney Ryan Nagel.
“[The] plea [is] based on evidentiary issues,” notes the sentencing sheet. It says the Eighth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office was unable to “secure [the] cooperation of listed victims,” and that “no one was struck” by gunfire.
Judge Bullard ordered White to temporarily remain in the Alachua County Jail, as he’ll likely be called as a witness in Dow’s trial.
White was adjudicated guilty of two counts of attempted second-degree murder, one count of discharging a firearm from a vehicle, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, but the plea form indicates he didn’t admit guilt.
