Busted Magazine
There is finally a magazine called "Busted," which features all of the mugshots of people who have been arrested in Marion, Citrus and Lake Counties.
At $1 a piece, Citgo Manager Mike Silmi says it outsells every publication he carries.
“The paper has been a great thing in the community, I mean people love it, and I sell quite a bit of them,” Silmi said.
But not everyone is a fan of the magazine.
Rachel Gary of Ocala thinks it's an invasion of privacy. She says just because someone has been arrested doesn't necessarily mean they're guilty on that crime.
“I don't really think you should put it out there, to be honest with you," she said. "If you want to go on the Internet and look at it, that's fine, but to have it in the stores, I don't think so."
All the information listed in the magazine is public. To find the information in it, all you need is a little patience and a computer. Silmi just wishes he had thought of the idea first.
"It's free information, but the guy is brilliant," Silmi said. "I mean, he's come up with an idea that's made him some money and it's an excellent magazine. I've seen a lot of my customers in there, a lot of them. It's good to know who's walking through your door."
Roughly 6,000 papers are sold every week.
The magazine's creator does not want to be identified for fear of retaliation. He says he saw a need and knew he could fill it.
“I saw quite a few people who wanted to read their local paper, just to find out who had been arrested or had gotten in trouble recently," the creator said. "It gives you an idea of who did the crime and whose going to do the time."
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