OCALA — Three men caught in separate undercover stings in Marion County — one already sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, two awaiting sentencing on charges carrying up to life — mark a sustained federal crackdown on child predators operating in Central Florida, United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced.
Jason Shane Ejmali, 51, of Silver Springs, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 10 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Ejmali had pleaded guilty on Nov. 19, 2025. According to court documents, between July 24 and 26, 2025, Ejmali messaged an individual he believed was willing to provide a 13- to 14-year-old foster child for sexual activity. That individual was an undercover special agent from Homeland Security Investigations. Ejmali discussed the type of sexual activity he wanted and agreed to meet at a location in Marion County, where law enforcement arrested him upon arrival.
Ballardo Andres Polanco, 32, of Seffner, pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Polanco faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the attempted enticement offense and a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment for the obscene material charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to Polanco’s plea agreement, between Dec. 29, 2025, and Feb. 10, 2026, he messaged an individual he believed was a 14-year-old girl — again, an undercover Homeland Security Investigations special agent. Polanco graphically described sexual activity he wanted to engage in with the minor, sent explicit images of himself, and encouraged the minor to skip school to meet him. On Feb. 10, 2026, Polanco traveled from Tampa to Marion County to meet the minor and was arrested by law enforcement at the meeting location.
Christopher Shaun Jonas, 34, of Ocala, pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and faces a minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. According to his plea agreement and court records, on July 23, 2024, Jonas contacted a profile on an internet application designed for prostitution. The profile was operated by an undercover detective from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office who identified as a 13-year-old girl. Jonas described in graphic detail the sexual acts he wanted to engage in with the minor, arranged a meeting at a location in Marion County, and was taken into custody when he arrived.
All three cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. All three were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
The cases were brought under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program, led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims.
The pattern across the three cases is notable: each defendant initiated contact through online platforms, each believed he was communicating with or about a minor, and each traveled to a physical location in Marion County where law enforcement was waiting. The stings spanned from July 2024 through February 2026, suggesting an ongoing, coordinated effort between federal and local agencies in the Ocala area.
Ejmali is the only defendant who has been sentenced. Polanco and Jonas each face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in federal prison, with sentencing dates yet to be scheduled by the court.