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Man sentenced for vandalizing Gainesville City Hall and threatening mayor

Gainesville resident James Dewar, 42, has been sentenced to nine months in jail and three years of probation for vandalizing the Gainesville mayor’s office and threatening Harvey Ward in March 2024.

Dewar, who has an extensive record, including a felony conviction and eight misdemeanor adjudications, did not post bail after being arrested in August last year. On Tuesday, Dewar entered a plea of no contest to all four felony charges, one for threatening a public servant and three counts of property damage in excess of $1,000 and could have faced a maximum of 20 years in state prison. Judge David P. Kreider adjudicated Dewar guilty and sentenced him to nine months in jail and three years of probation.

As part of his probation conditions, Dewar must complete an inpatient mental health treatment program and make restitution of $15,169 to the City of Gainesville by the end of his probation term. He cannot visit City Hall property.

In a statement released from the mayor’s office today, Ward reissued that: “My fellow commissioners and I will continue to do what the people elected us to do. A broken window and ugly note will not shake our resolve. We will stay on course and do the work.”

This event raised safety concerns for municipal employees and visitors. In response, Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya heightened police presence at City Hall and additional security measures at the complex have been implemented for the safety of City Hall staff and members of the public.

Maria Fernanda Camacho is a Bilingual Journalist for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org