Seth Johnson
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody recognized Gainesville Detective Sergeant Nick Ferrara this week as one of eight “Law Enforcement Officer of the Year” nominees.
Ferrara has 25 years of experience at the Gainesville Police Department and has pursued large-scale investigations into organized retail crime, card skimming, identity theft and counterfeiting. Moody said these investigations involve multi-million-dollar schemes and noted the growing problem of retail theft across the county.
“Having someone with your acumen and skills to coordinate large cases and to go after these large, organized retail crime rings is so important,” Moody said at the award ceremony Tuesday. “It’s one of the reasons Florida stands out as a leader in our efforts to combat these organized retail theft rings.”
In October, the Florida Retail Federation honored Ferrara as its officer of the year. A press release noted his skill with technology and said Ferrara has identified more than 1,000 witnesses, offenders and victims in support investigations.
“His impact reaches far beyond the city limits of Gainesville, and beyond state lines as he partners with other law enforcement agencies, retailers and financial institutions across the nation and as far as the United Kingdom,” the Florida Retail Federation said in a press release.
Besides Ferrara, Moody also recognized the following officers:
- Officer Specialist Elisha Cernuto, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- Special Agent Steven Harris, Florida Department of Law Enforcement
- Detective Daniel Melgar, Boca Raton Police Services Department
- Corporal Eldon Raines, Dunnellon Police Department
- Master Deputy Crista Rainey, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
- Corporal Ritchie Revis, Sebastian Police Department
- Trooper Toni Schuck, Florida Highway Patrol
At the end of the ceremony, Moody announced that Corporal Ritchie Revis had earned the title of Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for 2022. Revis helped rescue two kidnapped victims being held at gunpoint in June 2022.
You can watch the entire ceremony here.