A tip about a man trying to sell a shotgun and narcotics sent Hillsborough County deputies into East Tampa just before 2 a.m. Friday, ending with two arrests and the discovery of a sawed-off shotgun and 67 grams of methamphetamine inside a car near North 50th Street.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the area of North 50th Street after a concerned citizen called in a report that a man was trying to sell a shotgun and drugs. Deputies identified a potential suspect vehicle and conducted a traffic stop at North 50th Street and Uceta Road, per the same account. That intersection sits within an industrial transit corridor in East Tampa immediately adjacent to CSX Transportation's regional rail classification hub, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
During the stop, deputies said they spotted a sawed-off shotgun through the vehicle's rear window. A subsequent search turned up 67 grams of methamphetamine along with drug paraphernalia, the sheriff's office reported.
Driver, Passenger Both Taken Into Custody
The driver, identified as 30-year-old Malik Hatcher, and the passenger, 37-year-old Ashley McCabe, were both arrested at the scene, the sheriff's office said. Authorities also noted that one of the two arrested individuals is a convicted felon, though the agency's post did not specify which of the two carries that record.
The methamphetamine haul carries serious weight under state law. Florida Statute § 893.135(1)(f) classifies possession of between 28 and 200 grams of methamphetamine as a first-degree felony trafficking offense, carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in state prison and a $100,000 fine, according to Online Sunshine. At 67 grams, the seizure falls within that trafficking threshold regardless of any intent to sell, per the same statute.
Sawed-Off Shotgun Adds Separate Felony Exposure
Florida Statute § 790.221 makes owning or possessing a short-barreled shotgun a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in state prison, Online Sunshine notes. If the felon among the two arrestees is found to have had actual possession of the weapon, Florida Statute § 790.23 adds a mandatory minimum of three years for a convicted felon possessing a firearm, on top of a possible 15-year maximum sentence under that same statute.
Federal exposure looms as well. Possessing an unregistered short-barreled shotgun violates the National Firearms Act, while a felon carrying a firearm violates 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) — offenses carrying maximum penalties of 10 and 15 years in federal prison, respectively, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The agency notes that federal prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida frequently adopt local arrests involving felons with sawed-off shotguns and methamphetamine under the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, meaning charges filed at the county level could eventually escalate into federal court.
Proving Who Possessed What Won't Be Simple
Because two people occupied the vehicle where both the drugs and the shotgun were found, prosecutors face a distinct legal hurdle in tying each item to each defendant. Florida case law requires prosecutors to independently prove that each occupant had knowledge of the contraband and joint control over it, according to the Roussos Law Group — mere proximity to weapons or drugs in a shared vehicle isn't legally enough to establish possession.
The paraphernalia found during the search adds a lesser charge to the mix. Florida Statute § 893.147 classifies drug paraphernalia possession as a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying up to a year in county jail and a $1,000 fine, per Online Sunshine. Beyond prison time, a felony drug conviction also triggers an automatic one-year driver's license revocation from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles under Florida Statute § 322.055, according to Goldman Wetzel.
The stretch of North 50th Street has drawn heightened law enforcement attention before. Hoodline previously reported that a 50th Street crime crackdown in March resulted in more than 30 arrests along the same corridor. The sheriff's office asks anyone with information to call 813-247-8200, noting that its social media account, run under the handle hcsosheriff, is not monitored around the clock.
