A former Marion County employee faces 14 charges after being accused of illegally digging up artifacts

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OCKLAWAHA, Fla. (WCJB) - For 27 years Lonny Haynes was an employee with Marion County.

He was arrested on Tuesday after Florida Fish and Wildlife said he used county equipment to illegally excavate and remove historical artifacts from Carney Island Recreation and Conservation Area.

“People have no respect for the past if you don’t have any respect for the past then you can’t respect the people that are living today and they definitely don’t respect indigenous ancestors at all,” said Sheridan Murphy the Florida Indigenous Alliance state executive director.

Officials said Haynes was observed using a skid steer to dig multiple trenches and remove and damage plants on county-owned land. This is a misdemeanor charge.

Don Browning a former school board member who lives nearby said someone should have confronted him.

“It may just be hey we need to write a little report here we need to discuss this now tell me again why you were digging a hole where you weren’t supposed to be digging a hole. You know you have to have a permit for that this is county land that’s a county park.”

On October 28, Carney Island was listed as an archeological site and is illegal to dig on, but Haynes continued to dig.

One employee claimed Haynes showed him an arrowhead he found. Excavating an archaeological site is a 3rd-degree felony.

“The guy thought it was ok to take a county bulldozer to just dig up the ground looking for Indian artifacts. I wonder if that guy would like it if I took a city bulldozer and dug up his grandma,” said Murphy.

Marion County officials said they are aware of the allegations.  Haynes is no longer employed by the county and faces 14 different charges.

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