Marion County Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Meet A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity

Ocala, Florida - United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Jason Shane Ejmali (51, Silver Springs) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Ejmali faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, from July 24-26, 2025, Ejmali messaged an individual whom he believed was willing to provide their 13 to 14-year-old foster child to engage in sexual activity. That individual was actually an undercover Homeland Security Investigations special agent. Ejmali discussed the type of sexual activity he wanted have with the minor and agreed to meet for that purpose at a location in Marion County. Once Ejmali arrived at that location, law enforcement placed him under arrest.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff's Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.