Romeo Jones and Selina Jones were booked in the Escambia County Jail late Friday night and charged with obstructing justice. Both were released with bonds Saturday afternoon.
- Romeo is listed as the financial assistant for New World Believers, according to public records released by the Escambia Children’s Trust.
Their father, Rodney Jones, was arrested on Thursday, Jan. 22 and charged with violation of Florida Statute 794.05(1)—Unlawful Sexual Activity with Certain Minors, which indicates the arrest warrant was issued for being 24 years of age or older and accused of engaging in sexual activity with a person 16 or 17 years of age. He was released on a $250,000 bond on Friday afternoon.
- Their brother, Rodrico Jones, was arrested on Jan. 18 and charged with obstruction of justice. He was released on a $50,000 bond on Friday afternoon also. Jones worked as a NWB mental health counselor.
Prior Arrests
Rodrico Jones has an arrested records: probation violation, fleeing police, resisting an officer, marijuana distribution and drug equipment possession (December 2020) and battery and damage to property (June 2023)
Romeo Jones was arrested in Feb. 2023 and charged with marijuana distribution and drug equipment possession.
Selina Jones has been arrested several times – probation violation and drug possession (July 2023) and cocaine possession and vehicle theft (March 2024). She does not work for NWB.
Trust Headache
According to the NWB financial reports, the Escambia Children’s Trust had funded the nonprofit since October 2023. The three-year grant, totalling $1.7 million, funded NWB’s mental health program, Healthy Opportunities and Options Promoting Success. The program provides “comprehensive wraparound services” to at-risk youth aged 11-18 and their families in Northwest Florida.
- As of Nov. 30, 2025, the nonprofit received $901,972. In December, the Trust board approved the third-year of the grant, $585,685.
Once notification that Rodney Jones was under a Department of Juvenile Justice investigation, the Trust suspended the grant earlier this month. Read the Trust Letter.
Nepotism? Although the grant agreement includes an anti-nepotism clause, the Trust allowed six Jones family members to be paid from the grant.
No Background Checks? The grant agreement also requires a national Level 2 background check for employees with access to youth. Had this been done in 2023, before the Trust gave NWB any funds, the arrest histories of Romeo and Rodrigo would have been noticed. The Trust could have done its own search of Escambia County Jail View and the Clerk of Courts website.
During a Trust board meeting on Jan. 13, Trust executive director Lindsey Cannon said they had recently found no background screenings had been submitted by NWB.
- “I will tell you there is a breach of contract related to background screenings that we’ve discovered through this process,” Cannon told Commissioner Lumon May when he asked if there was tangible evidence warranting suspension.
