Federal Court Resolves Two Major Ocala Jewelry Store Armed Robberies

Federal law enforcement and Ocala police have resolved two major commercial armed robberies in Ocala, resulting in a guilty plea and a lengthy prison sentence in federal court.

The first case concerns a violent armed robbery on Tuesday evening, February 20, 2024, at the Kay Jewelers store located at 2400 NE 49th Terrace, near the Six Gun Plaza in Northeast Ocala. According to court documents, 49-year-old Michael Deon Woulard of Gainesville entered the store brandishing a semi-automatic handgun. Woulard ordered store employees into a back bathroom before using a tool to smash open glass display cases. He fled the store with approximately $364,000 worth of jewelry. Ocala Police officers, working with the FBI, apprehended Woulard the following day, recovering the stolen merchandise. In March 2026, Woulard pleaded guilty in federal court to robbery and multiple counts of brandishing a firearm during a violent crime, facing a minimum of 14 years up to life in prison.

The second case involved 46-year-old Danny Anzardo of Ocala, who was sentenced in February 2026 to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison. Anzardo was prosecuted for a crime spree on October 29, 2024, during which he robbed a Family Dollar store at gunpoint and, just hours later, targeted Ocala Jewelers at the Paddock Mall. During the mall heist, Anzardo threatened to kill an employee while stealing over $13,000 in jewelry. He pleaded guilty in September 2025 before being sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber.

Both cases highlight the collaborative efforts of the Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff's Office, and federal agencies like the FBI to investigate and prosecute high-value commercial robberies in the region.