HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – A Tarpon Springs man who threatened a child and a man’s grandmother has been charged, according to the Department of Justice.
Antonio McCray, 22, Tarpon Springs, has been charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on October 29, 2022, McCray was a passenger in the backseat of a vehicle that was pulled over by deputies from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
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The deputies saw and seized a firearm under the back of the front passenger seat, underneath McCray’s feet. The firearm, a loaded 9-millimeter Springfield “Hellcat” pistol, had previously been reported stolen.
A search warrant executed on McCray’s phone revealed various messages sent by McCray, including one in which he said, “listen bra if u care about ur son an ur grandma have my money by Thursday…or I’m coming for u n ur family.”
DNA swabs taken from the Hellcat pistol matched McCray’s DNA. Additionally, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement determined that the ammunition found inside of the pistol matched casings utilized in a recent drive-by shooting in Hernando County.
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This case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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