Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 1-28-20

Crime
Man Convicted Of 22 Felonies Indicted On Gun Charge
Three Men Indicted For Murder-For-Hire Conspiracy
A federal grand jury has indicted a Tampa man on possession of a firearm charge as a convicted felon. If convicted he is facing a minimum mandatory sen- tence of 15 years in prison.
According to the indict- ment, Michler Gabriel, 38, was found in possession of a gun and ammunition on September 26, 2019. Gabriel had 22 convictions on his record and was not al- lowed to have a gun. He was arrested and charged with driving with a suspended li- cense, 5 counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of cannabis,
MICHLER GABRIEL
armed tracking in phenethy- lamines, possession of co- caine, possession of drug paraphernalia, carrying a concealed weapon, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He
was being housed at the Ori- ent Road Jail.
Last Tuesday, around 11:15, Gabriel reportedly punched the deputy in the face several times as he fell backwards onto a wall. The entire incident was captured on video.
As a result of the attack, Gabriel is also facing charges of battery on a law enforcement officer and bat- tery by a detained person. Gabriel is being held with- out bond.
The previous charges in- cluded drug and gun of- fenses, child abuse, and forgery.
Bicyclist Facing Several Charges After Traffic Stop
ANTONIO SHEPPARD, JR.
A bicycle stop by police has landed a Tampa man in jail. He is being held without bond on several charges.
According to the Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s Office, deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a bicycle Fri- day night. The deputies at- tempted to make the stop at the intersection on N. 15th Street and E. 130th Avenue.
The bicyclist fled the scene, but was quickly apprehended. He has been identified as 23- year-old Antonio Sheppard,
Jr.Sheppard was arrested for resisting a law enforcement of- ficer without violence. He was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, car- rying a concealed firearm, armed possession of cocaine with the intent to sell; burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, petit theft, uttering a forged in- strument, and possession of a controlled substance.
JAMES HIGGS, JR.
KERMON WILLIAMS
Three men were indicted by a federal grand jury and charged in connection with the murders of two men. The murders took place on Janu- ary 21t, 2019, Martin Luther King, Jr., Observance Day.
According to the super- seding indictment, Kermon Williams, 42, a.k.a. “The General,” asked Jhaphre Higgs, 35, a.k.a. “Pre,” and James Higgs, Jr., 40, a.k.a. “Hammer,” all of St. Petersburg, to kill Tywan Jeremiah Armstrong, 39, of St. Petersburg. He offered to pay them in cash and drugs, officials said.
The indictment alleges that the men attempted to carry out the crime in Sep- tember 2018, but Arm- strong survived.
Then on January 21, 2019, the men shot and killed Armstrong. They also killed Roger Lee Ford, Jr.,
JHAPHRE HIGGS
ROGER LEE FORD, JR.
TYWAN JEREMIAH ARMSTRONG
41, and wounded a third per- son.
All three men were charged with conspiracy to commit murder for hire, drug trafficking, use of a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes, re- sulting in the murder of Roger Ford and Tywan Armstrong, or aiding and abetting the same and other crimes. No trial date has been set in the case.
Convicted Felon
Gets 2 Years For
Trying To Sell Gun
A 25-year-old Tampa man was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in fed- eral prison. He pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on October 22, 2019.
According to federal court documents, Zane C. Brass- field took a .50 caliber rifle to a gun store and attempted to sell it. Store employees de- cided not to purchase the gun from him.
Employees found the rifle outside in the trash after Brassfield left the store. By federal law, Brassfield was
ZANE C. BRASSFIELD
not allowed to possess a gun because he had been con- victed of a felony crime.
UNCLE SANDY
Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; 8, 16, 22, 33, 56, it is something you design for the present 9, 21, 34, 47, 52.
PAGE 18 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2020