BONIFAY – A Westville man was found guilty of assaulting three young adults by firing shots when they were hiding in the woods has been sentenced to 4 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Raymond Richard Boles, 60, was found guilty on May 24 of three counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and two counts of Assault. Circuit Court Judge Russell Roberts adjudicated the defendant guilty on all charges. He gave 4-year sentences – to run concurrent – on each of the three counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.
Holmes County Chief Prosecutor Jacob Cook called 12 witnesses – including the five assault victims – and presented evidence proving the defendant assaulted two victims and fired shots with the intent to intimidate the three others on July 9, 2023.
Testimony showed the five victims were driving around the area of Buck Rogers Drive when one truck ran out of gas. Two of the victims left in another truck to get more, but ran out of gas themselves.
Those two encountered Boles, who believed someone had been driving recklessly in the area, and he assaulted them.
The three victims with the first truck had seen the defendant drive by, and then got a call from their friends in the second truck about their encounter with the defendant. Those three fled into the woods when they saw the defendant returning in his vehicle.
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They testified they were scared and hiding in the woods and could hear the defendant yelling at them and firing several shots that caused them to fear for their lives.
Holmes County Sheriff’s Office deputy Brandon Ramer arrived on the scene to find the defendant in his truck and the young adults hiding in the woods.
Basford thanked the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office for its fast response to the call and its investigation.For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850–381–7454.