A convicted felon wanted in Kentucky and Indiana was found hiding under a shed overhang in Dover on Thursday, and deputies say he had a handcuff key taped inside his underwear. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office identified the man as 42-year-old Jonathan Terry and said he also ditched a pair of brass knuckles under a nearby vehicle before he was taken into custody.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
, the agency's Aviation Unit and deputies on the ground worked together to track Terry down on October 1. Aviation spotted him first, finding Terry tucked beneath a shed overhang as deputies closed in. The sheriff's office says that as deputies moved to arrest him, Terry tossed the brass knuckles under a nearby car in an apparent attempt to ditch the item before contact.
It was during the arrest that deputies say they discovered the handcuff key taped inside Terry's underwear, a detail the sheriff's office highlighted in the headline of its own account of the capture. That detail matters under Florida law: per the Florida Legislature, possessing a concealed handcuff key is classified as a third-degree felony in the state.
How Florida Law Treats a Hidden Key
Florida's statutes are specific about what counts as concealment for this kind of charge. Under Section 843.021 of the Florida Statutes, the law covers a handcuff key secured to the body or clothing with tape as well as one hidden in an undergarment — circumstances that line up with how the sheriff's office described the item found on Terry.
The same statute does outline a possible defense: a person charged under the provision may avoid liability if they immediately and effectively disclose possession of the key once placed in custody, according to the Florida Legislature. The sheriff's office account does not say whether Terry made any such disclosure during his arrest.
Separately, Terry faces a charge tied to the brass knuckles he is accused of discarding. Florida law classifies carrying a concealed weapon as a first-degree misdemeanor when the statutory criteria for a more serious charge are not met, per the Florida Legislature. The sheriff's office reported that Terry faces charges of felon carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a concealed handcuff key, though it is unclear which specific statute applies to the weapons allegation.
Wanted Across State Lines
Beyond the new Florida charges, the sheriff's office said Terry was already wanted in both Kentucky and Indiana at the time of his capture. Sheriff Chad Chronister said of the arrest, “This convicted felon, wanted in two states, underestimated the skill and determination of #teamHCSO.”
The sheriff's office framed the Dover arrest as the start of a broader legal reckoning for Terry, saying he now faces new charges in Florida and must answer for the cases pending against him in Indiana and Kentucky. The underlying details of those out-of-state warrants have not been independently confirmed.
