Several Gainesville Police Officers Named as Witnesses in Case Against Former GPD Chaplain
Assistant State Attorney Lua Lepianka, prosecuting attorney in the case against Mark Vega, has begun listing the state's witnesses, and the lists include the names of over a dozen Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officers.
According to the police report, while serving as the senior pastor at Ignite Life Center (ILC) Church, Vega failed to report several instances of child sexual abuse over the course of multiple years. The police report states Vega covered up the child sexual abuse at his church while simultaneously serving as chaplain of GPD. The following GPD officers (badge numbers included) have been named as witnesses:
- Ofc. Jasmine Allen (#1111)
- Ofc. Ranisha Johnson (#1146)
- Det. Desiree Russano (#990)
- Ofc. Corey Coppola (#1241)
- Ofc. Garrett Courville (#906)
- Ofc. Dustin Johnson (#1164)
- Ofc. Drew Marshall (#945)
- Ofc. Matthew Murriello (#1209)
- Sgt. John Rappa (#733)
- Sgt. Jason Rarey (#838)
- Ofc. William Schaeffer (#1200)
- Ofc. Robert “Bobby” White (#797)
- Ofc Pablo Figueroa (#1171)
- Cpl. Jacob Sowards (#754)
Another officer named as a witness is Sgt. Kendrick Turner with the Bellevue Police Department in Washington state. According to a Facebook post from the department, Turner worked at GPD for three years before moving to Washington. The post was made in 2020 and states Turner started working for Bellevue PD in 2019, putting into perspective just how far back Vega’s offenses date to.
GPD Sgt. John Pandak and Capt. Paris Owens made statements that have not aged well in a September 2024 interview with GnvInfo. Based on court records, this interview occurred well after Vega had covered up child sexual abuse, but over a year prior to his arrest.
Snippet from GPD | GnvInfo Sep. 2024 Interview (Capt. Owens on left and Sgt. Pandak on right)
During the interview, Owens, at the time serving as captain of criminal investigations, said that they had "not investigated Mark Vega for anything." Owens admitted that Vega was the former chaplain of GPD, stating, “Once the allegations regarding the sexual abuse were brought to our attention, Pastor Vega was asked to step down as a chaplain, and his credentials were removed from our system.”
Snippet from GPD | GnvInfo Sep. 2024 Interview
Pandak purported that there wasn’t probable cause to charge Vega, despite the fact that Pandak himself previously supervised a supplemental report that contains details of one of the coverups orchestrated by Vega. Pandak supervised this report back in October 2023, but Vega wouldn’t be charged until Det. Russano filed a sworn complaint against him in August 2025.
Pandak and Owens haven’t been named as witnesses.
When Lonnie Scott still served as GPD chief, he posed for a photo with Vega on social media.
Scott has not been named as a witness.
Prosecutors may issue additional lists of witnesses in the future if they choose.
Vega was released on bond after turning himself in on a warrant in November 2025. Vega’s next court date is set for Monday, March 9.
