10/19/2026
How does a convicted s*x offender remain free for months after Florida issues a no-bond, nationwide extradition warrant?
Neighbors raised concerns. Law enforcement was notified. Probation violations were documented. And then, another child was allegedly victimized.
The Justin Drake case raises serious questions about how our justice system handled repeated warnings and who was (and is) responsible for protecting the children.
We've put together a timeline of the documented events, court proceedings, and unanswered questions.
Read the full article and decide for yourself.
Researched & written by D.C. Davis, Cardinal Scribe
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"Who Is Looking Out for Our Children? What court records reveal about the Forsyth County District Attorney's mishandling of a convicted child s*x offender"
⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: ⚠️
This article discusses child s*xual abuse, a convicted s*x offender, alleged offenses involving young children, and concerns about how law enforcement and the justice system responded to reports of possible violations. Some details may be disturbing or distressing, particularly for survivors of s*xual abuse and their families. This is an ongoing case, and some charges have not yet been resolved in court. Our goal is to examine the publicly available records, distinguish documented facts from allegations, and address serious questions about how this case was handled without relying on rumors or speculation.
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🚨 CASE #1: LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA (2019-2023):
In the case of State of Florida v. Justin Carlyle Drake, case no. 18-CF-30 (link below), a “S*x Offender Probation Order” was filed in May 2019. Drake pled guilty to one count of “Lewd or Lascivious Conduct, F.S. 800.04(6)(b), 2nd Degree Felony.” He was sentenced to 48 months in the Florida Department of Corrections, followed by 132 months of S*x Offender Probation.
On December 6, 2022, Drake filed an application for transfer to North Carolina upon completing his 48-month sentence. Under the “Interstate Commission for Adult Supervision” compact agreement with North Carolina, the transfer was approved. Drake agreed to several stipulations for transfer, including being returned to Florida “at any time” (known as the right to extradition).
Drake gave his parents’ Winston-Salem address on court records. However, he could not live with his parents because their home is close to Whitaker Elementary School.
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🚨 CASE #2: FORSYTH COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA (2025)
❤️ CONCERNED CITIZEN #1 — ON THE RECORD
On July 28, 2025, Sgt. D. M. Faircloth of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Elizabeth Foley, who lives next to Whitaker Elementary School property and near Drake’s parents. She told Faircloth she was concerned about Drake’s behavior.
Foley indicated she only recently learned that Drake was a registered s*x offender, and she had questions about his being near an elementary school playground. She also shared that Drake bought lemonade from the neighborhood children’s stand on July 25th. Foley told Faircloth that Drake spent a lot of time at his parents’ home and walked his dogs in the neighborhood.
Faircloth explained to Foley that Drake’s home address was not his parents’ residence. As long as Drake wasn’t spending the night there, he wasn’t breaking the law. Faircloth wasn’t as clear about Drake’s proximity to the school’s playground and said he would call back when he clarified the statute.
According to Faircloth’s “Reporting Officer Narrative,” he knew the details of Drake’s Florida conviction, citing that Drake’s “victim was a 6-year-old female.”
After speaking with an unidentified person in the Forsyth County District Attorney’s office, Faircloth called Foley and told her that if Drake went onto school property, it would be a probation violation. Faircloth again said Drake is not breaking the law by being at his parents’ home as long as he does not spend the night there.
Faircloth contacted Drake on July 29, 2025, and “asked him to respond to the Sheriff’s Office to speak with him”. Faircloth said he warned Drake that certain behaviors would violate his probation. He said Drake understood and that he would abide by the rules. According to Faircloth’s report, “at the request of supervision,” he called Foley on August 12, 2025, with an update on the investigation.
Foley said she and her husband called District Attorney Jim O’Neill to voice their concerns.
Foley was upset that no one in her neighborhood had been told Drake was a registered s*x offender. NCGS Chapter 14 Article 27A requires local law enforcement officers (LEOs) to notify the community and the schools within a mile of where a s*x offender lives. However, if the s*x offender spends time in other areas where there are children, those residents are not notified.
❤️ CONCERNED CITIZEN #1 — ON THE RECORD AGAIN
Faircloth wrote that he “explained as of right now, unless he goes on school property, no law has been violated.” He also wrote that Foley said, “Justin is (she claims) regularly talking to children.”
The deputy’s personal opinions became “apparent” when he wrote: “It was beginning to be apparent that she felt our office was incompetent regarding the S*x Offender Registration and its law.”
It should be made clear that Faircloth was focusing on the “residence” requirement for a s*x offender. Drake was not violating that requirement. However, based on Faircloth’s own report, he did not follow up on Foley’s “claims” that Drake was seen buying lemonade from the neighborhood children. That was a probation violation: having contact with a child under the age of 18.
❤️ CONCERNED CITIZEN #2 — ON THE RECORD
On August 20, 2025, Curtis Fentress, another resident of the Whitaker Elementary School community contacted Faircloth. According to Faircloth, Fentress was “polite and was curious as to the requirements for registered s*x offenders.” Fentress told Faircloth that he “located information regarding Justin’s probation” and that Drake’s probation prohibited him from associating with juveniles. Faircloth gave Fentress the contact information for Drake’s probation officers.
Faircloth called the probation office, then spoke to Drake, reminding him again to stay away from children. Faircloth did not mention an investigation into the report of Drake associating with juveniles.
❤️ CONCERNED CITIZEN #1 — ON THE RECORD AGAIN (x2)
On August 22, 2025, Faircloth requested a report for locations recorded on Drake’s GPS ankle monitor. Faircloth concluded his report with: “Due to no crime being committed, I move to close this case.”
On August 25, 2025, Foley contacted Faircloth again. She spoke to Drake’s probation officer, who told her that “there was possibly a date when Justin was on premise of the school according to the GPS points.” Foley also told Faircloth about an incident concerning Drake’s dog: Drake was on school property and talking to children. Faircloth then checked GPS data points and discovered one placing Drake on or near the school property.
Drake’s probation officer notified Florida officials that the GPS showed Drake left Forsyth County between August 24 and August 26, 2025, without permission.
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After working with Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Sarah Quick Loebner, the Forsyth Sheriff’s Office arrested Drake on August 27, 2025.
❤️ CONCERNED CITIZEN #3 — ON THE RECORD
According to Faircloth’s report, while he was out of the office on August 27th, Benjamin Marsh called his office. Drake gave Marsh’s son a $20 bill with his phone number written on it as a “reward” for helping Drake find his dog. After Marsh gave Faircloth the details, he asked Marsh to send him a photo of the bill. Faircloth compared the handwriting and sent a copy to the D.A’s office.
Drake appeared in court on August 29, 2025, and agreed in writing to appear when requested. He was released into his mother’s custody in Forsyth County. The paperwork was completed and shared with Lee County officials in Florida. Faircloth’s report ended with, “I request this case closed.”
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LEE COUNTY, FLORIDA (September 2025)
Because of the Labor Day weekend, Stephanie Carollo with the Florida Department of Corrections did not begin submitting paperwork to the court until September 2nd. Carollo documented the probation violations she found in Faircloth’s report. On September 18, 2025, she submitted a violation report requesting a warrant for Drake’s arrest and return to Florida to serve out the remaining years of his sentence.
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On September 29, 2025, the State of Florida issued a “no-bond, nationwide extradition” Fugitive Warrant for Drake. The warrant was filed with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), but it was not served. However, documents included in the Florida files show Drake knew a warrant had been issued. He hired attorneys to represent him in Florida Circuit Court on October 6, 2025.
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FORSYTH COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA (September 2025 until March 2026)
In Forsyth County, there is no evidence anyone in the the District Attorney’s office asked that Drake be jailed, even after Florida issued its warrant. So, Drake remained free in Forsyth County for months.
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🚨 CASE #3: WINSTON-SALEM (March 2026)
On March 1, 2026, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office notified the Winston-Salem Police Department of an incident involving a 6-year-old male. The victim and his family live in Davie County, but the incident occurred in Winston-Salem on February 27, 2026. After a WSPD investigation, Drake was arrested on March 13, 2026, charged with “Indecent Liberties with Child”, and placed under a $500,000 bond.
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Carollo was notified of the new charges and she amended the original paperwork to include them. Florida issued a new extradition warrant on March 17, 2026.
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A Forsyth County jury handed down an indictment on June 1, 2026. On June 18, 2026, a Forsyth County judge approved a “Voluntary Dismissal” of the Florida warrant. After several continuances, the court has now scheduled an “Administrative Hearing” on November 30, 2026.
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🚨 MEANWHILE, REGARDING CASE #2 (above)
In the 2025 Forsyth County case, on the charge of “S*x Offender on Child Premise,” Drake was to remain in custody with no bond. A jury handed down an indictment on July 6, 2026. A hearing to answer the indictment’s charges was scheduled for August 3, 2026. However, there is no indication the hearing was held or cancelled.
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GOVERNORS GET INVOLVED
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On August 5, 2026, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially requested that North Carolina extradite Drake. On August 19, 2026, NC Governor Josh Stein issued a “Governor’s Warrant” ordering Drake held without bond and extradited to Florida.
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NC Attorney General Jeff Jackson sent the warrant to Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough.
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CONCLUSION & REMAINING QUESTIONS
As of October 18, 2026, Drake remains in the Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center. Some details of these two cases are not available to the public because of the victims’ ages. The public doesn’t know why the District Attorney’s office handled the first case (August 2025) the way it did.
Many Forsyth County citizens are upset about the way this case has been handled and are asking questions:
- Why did the District Attorney’s office not argue in court that Drake should have been confined to jail without bond in August of 2025?
- Why was Drake allowed to remain free in 2025 after Florida issued an extraditable arrest warrant?
- Why is Forsyth County paying to keep him in our jail when the State of Florida wants him extradited?
An elected District Attorney rarely prosecutes a case themselves, but they are ultimately responsible for every case. What does it say about our District Attorney’s office that after being arrested for a probation violation, they allowed a convicted s*x offender to walk free for five months?
The District Attorney’s office represents the State, the district, and crime victims. They determine the charges brought against criminals, prosecute the strongest possible case, and advocate for victims and the community to ensure justice is served.
When children are victimized, the public outcry is emotional. Rumors that DA O’Neill has a personal relationship with Drake’s parents can not be confirmed.
The biggest question everyone is asking: If Jim O’Neill is tough on crime, how did this happen?
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Researched & Written by:
D.C. Davis, Cardinal Scribe
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