Owner of Jax businesses raided by FDLE arrested on gun charges

A Jacksonville businessman has been jailed on gun charges after two shotguns are found in his home. That was just one of several sites searched by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement today.

Serving the unspecified search warrants started Tuesday morning, with the FDLE leading the investigation, but the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Florida Highway Patrol, and National Insurance Crime Bureau assisting. Those agencies would not comment on their roles in the FDLE investigation, and the Florida Attorney General's Office can "neither confirm nor deny" any involvement.

The arrest report for 69-year-old William Shepard Ellison says, while searching his home on Shady Reach Drive, police found two shotguns. Ellison is a convicted felon, and therefore not allowed to own firearms.

WOKV has confirmed Ellison pled guilty in 1990 to arson and dealing in stolen property and was convicted of solicitation to commit first degree murder.

It’s unclear at this time whether Ellison will also face charges relating to today’s search warrants. A FDLE Spokesman tells WOKV it will likely be several weeks before they release details about the nature of the search warrants and the broader investigation because their efforts are still ongoing at this point. The NICB is involved in situations where there is some type of insurance fraud under investigation, however a Spokeswoman could not say whether they were there as a primary part of the state investigation or if they were working on secondary elements.

Search warrants were served at Shep’s Wholesale Auction, Shep’s Discount & Salvage, and Ellison’s home.

Jail records show Ellison will make his first court appearance on the gun charges Wednesday morning.

WOKV continues to dig for more information on this developing investigation.