[PHOTO CREDIT: MarionCounty Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 12/19/20]
TAVARES, Florida — The man accused of robbing a local store and pistol-whipping an employee last week is in custody in Marion County, according to Tavares Police Lt. Sarah Coursey.
Ahmad Rashad Isham, 43, of Ocala, was picked up on a warrant Friday —his birthday— by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Coursey told Lake Legal News.
“Detectives with the Tavares Police Department worked with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in locating Mr. Ahmad Isham, who is responsible for the armed robbery and unnecessary attack on the victim in the robbery at Dora Discount Beverage,” Coursey told LLN Friday night. “This violent offender is now behind bars where he belongs and hopefully for a long time.”
Around 8:45 a.m. Dec. 8, Isham is alleged to have entered the back door of Dora Discount Beverage, 532 South Duncan Drive, Tavares and pistol-whipping an employee before robbing the store. He left through the front door with an undisclosed amount of money, wearing a hoodie with “SECURITY” emblazoned across the front. Surveillance video captured Isham walking down the sidewalk of Dora Canal Plaza, but he escaped apprehension the day of the crime.
Isham has served two prison sentences in Florida; he was sentenced to seven years in prison in 1994 for two counts of carjacking with a deadly weapon and five years for failing to stop for a crash involving injury or death. According to Florida Department of Corrections online records, he served all three of those sentences concurrently and was released in 2001.
In 2006, Isham was sentenced to five years in prison for multiple cocaine charges and a traffic charge; he was released in 2010.
In this latest case, Isham is charged with robbery with a firearm, aggravated battery with a firearm and grand theft. He is being held in the Marion County Jail on $60,000 bond.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
