A Dunnellon man was sentenced Friday to five years in the Florida Department of Corrections followed by two years of felony probation after firing shots at two utility linemen who were working to restore power to his neighborhood late last year. Citrus County Circuit Judge Healis handed down the sentence to 30-year-old Immanuel Zachariah Smith following a jury conviction on two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The case traces back to the night of December 5, 2025, when Citrus County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to North Nicosia Point in Dunnellon after reports of gunfire in the residential area, according to the Office of The State Attorney, Fifth Judicial Circuit. A Citrus County jury found Smith guilty on July 16 after the case went to trial, as reported by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, which shared details of the sentencing on Facebook.
Linemen Sought Cover Behind an RV
The two victims worked as linemen for Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative and had responded to a reported power outage in a company bucket truck marked with flashing yellow warning lights, per the state attorney's office. As they walked along a property boundary line toward a nearby power pole to locate the electrical issue, Smith confronted them from his yard, shouted profanities, accused them of trespassing, and fired multiple gunshots.
The linemen took cover behind a parked recreational vehicle and repeatedly shouted “Power Company” in an attempt to identify themselves. Smith responded with an expletive, telling them he did not care, the state attorney's office said.
Defendant Claimed He Fired Warning Shots
Smith told Citrus County deputies during questioning that he had seen individuals near his land, gone inside his residence to retrieve a gun, and fired multiple shots into the ground as warning shots meant to drive off people he believed were trespassing, according to WFTV. But investigators with the sheriff's office determined that the linemen had never set foot on Smith's private property and were working strictly along the public fence line while attempting to restore power, the station reported.
Prosecutor and Utility Executive Speak Out
Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson said following the sentencing that linemen should not have to worry about being shot at while doing their jobs, adding that no worker should fear for their life while restoring public power. Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative Executive Vice-President David Lambert II said he personally visited the scene the night of the shooting and stated that the truck's flashing lights made it unmistakably identifiable as an electric service vehicle, emphasizing that the crew was never on private property.
