CITRUS COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – Authorities say a man was sentenced to 75 years in prison for multiple crimes he committed in 2021.

The State Attorney’s Office (SAO) of the Fifth Judicial Circuit says 50-year-old Robert Joe Maracek will spend 75 years in the Florida Department of Corrections as a “habitual violent felony offender.”

Maracek faced multiple charges including:

  • Aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer (LEO)
  • Aggravated assault of a law officer
  • Fleeing or attempting to elude
  • Throwing a deadly object at a vehicle (two counts)
  • Resisting law enforcement with violence
  • Possession of amphetamine
  • Battery of an LEO K-9
  • Providing false identity to law enforcement
  • Driving without a license
  • Driving with no vehicle registration

The charges stemmed from an incident on February 1, 2021, when authorities say he struck a Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputy with his vehicle while he was attempting to evade a traffic stop in Hernando.

More than three years later, he was found guilty on all charges on February 23, 2024.

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During the pursuit, deputies say Maracek threw tire spikes from his vehicle’s window to prevent deputies from catching him.

He was eventually captured by a K-9, and authorities say while they were trying to arrest him, he resisted arrest, striking and kicking deputies and the K-9.

The SAO says Maracek’s extensive criminal history dates all the way back to Aug. 27, 2001, when he became a fugitive from Osceola County authorities after failing to appear for his trial on charges of law enforcement battery, resisting law enforcement, and leaving a crash scene.

They say he was also wanted for violating probation following his sentencing in May 2000 for armed burglary and theft charges that originated from Broward County in January 1994.

“The sentencing of this violent offender serves as a testament to our commitment in holding those who violate our laws accountable,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “I am extremely thankful for our community partners whose vigilance led to the apprehension of this dangerous individual and to the judiciary for ensuring this person is no longer a menace to our society.