GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Major Leo Croom, 19, a former University of Florida student and son of a state judge, has been charged with armed robbery after allegedly stealing $420 worth of marijuana from a local smoke shop on Wednesday afternoon.
The robbery, which occurred near the UF campus, led to multiple safety alerts being issued to students and faculty. Croom, a freshman business major last fall, was arrested at his apartment later that day and was held overnight in the Alachua County Jail. Prosecutors have indicated they will seek to have him held without bail until his trial.
Croom’s arrest follows the theft of THC-A marijuana from the Wild Side Smoke Shop, where he reportedly pulled a gun after requesting six bottles of cannabis and demanding it without showing his ID. After threatening the employees with the gun, Croom grabbed the marijuana and fled the scene. A witness later saw Croom walking into a nearby apartment building barefoot and acting suspiciously.
Police used security footage to track Croom to his apartment, where they found him standing on the balcony. Despite initially claiming the gun was fake, Croom later admitted to having used it during the robbery. He is currently facing two felony charges for armed robbery with a deadly weapon.
Croom, who was once listed as a UF student, was not enrolled for the current semester. His mother, Janet Carney Croom, is a circuit judge in Indian River County and announced her resignation in a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis, effective June 15. She did not comment on her son’s case.
The judge overseeing Croom’s case has ordered a mental health evaluation and prohibited him from returning to campus for three years.
Croom is scheduled to face charges in court as the investigation continues.
