OCALA, Florida—A Leesburg man who was apprehended near a Tavares motel more than a year ago has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Timothy Eric “Tater” Evans, 41, was taken into custody March 3, 2022 near La Bella Inn, 101 West Burleigh Boulevard by multiple agencies on a federal warrant issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) stemming from an incident that occurred in Tavares on May 21, 2021.
In May 2021, Evans was found with a stolen vehicle and an officer with Tavares Police Department searched the stolen vehicle and found MDMA, also known as Molly, and a loaded gun in the center console. A search of Evans’ phone revealed numerous photos of illegal narcotics and guns, along with messages in which Evans was attempting to buy and sell guns, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The gun charge was dropped by the state and picked up by the U.S. Attorney’s Office; Evans pleaded guilty in June 2022.
Evans was later taken into custody in Tavares with the cooperation of multiple agencies, including ATF, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Mount Dora Police Department and Tavares Police Department.
“We assisted ATF, FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) and Mount Dora Police Department in the apprehension of Timothy Evans on an active federal warrant,” TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan told Inside Lake last year. TPD also transported Evans to the Lake County Jail, according to a report.
According to an MDPD report, officers from that agency assisted with blocking eastbound traffic on U.S. Highway 441 near the motel and Evans and another male were ordered out of the vehicle they were in and taken into custody without incident. The vehicle was then towed to MDPD for secure storage.
Multiple sources, as far back as November 2021, have told Inside Lake Evans, an eight-time convicted felon, is suspected of committing a high-profile crime in the area, but he has never been arrested for the crime. Evans’ case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together many levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun violence, the U.S Attorney’s Office said. Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk prosecuted the case.
Multiple Agencies Assist In Apprehension Of Man Wanted On Federal Charges In Tavares Thursday Night
