A UF football employee threatened to blow up his former girlfriend’s car, deputies said.
Otis Yelverton, 51, football Gators assistant director of player personnel, was arrested Monday, according to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Yelverton assisted in recruiting for the team and was placed on leave, said Steve McClain, the Gators senior associate athletics director. Yelverton was hired in January 2018.
On April 14, his former girlfriend ended their year-long relationship, the report said. On Sunday, she told him to stop contacting her. That same day, he left her a voicemail saying he was going to blow up her car.
Yelverton called, texted and messaged her on Facebook more than 40 times, the report said. Most of the messages were sent after she told him to stop contacting her.
He also sent multiple messages with “vulgarities and demeaning language,” the report said. She made a report to the sheriff’s office to request Yelverton to stop contacting her, the report said. They took photos of the messages and recorded the voicemail he sent on Sunday.
She said the messages caused her emotional distress, the report said.
Yelverton was charged with aggravated stalking. He was released from the Alachua County Jail Tuesday on his own recognizance.
Yelverton referred The Alligator to his attorney, Ron Kozlowski, who said there is still information not released to the public.
“Nothing I’ve seen to this point from the police report shows me aggravated stalking,” Kozlowski said.
Otis Yelverton
