Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Javonte Odarious Young, 24, has been arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to the murder of Romeo Sheppard on September 1, 2022, and making false statements under oath about where the suspects were at the time of the murder.

Aziel Brown-Gainey and Jerquay Freeman are both in the Alachua County Jail, awaiting trial on murder charges in the shooting death of Sheppard at Gardenia Gardens Apartments.

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Formal charges against Young were filed on June 13 by the State Attorney’s Office, alleging that Young gave a false alibi for the two defendants between September 1 and October 26 and that he stated under oath on October 26 that Freeman and Brown-Gainey were at his residence at the time of the murder although he did not believe that to be true. Both charges are felonies.

Court documents show that Young is an Uber driver who has a juvenile criminal history and six adult felony convictions (none violent). Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $300,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.