A 22-year-old Mulberry man was apprehended for allegedly inventing a drive-by shooting incident, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
James Ansony Sosa-Pinto of Mulberry reported the shooting after arriving at a Lakeland Regional Health ER with a gunshot wound to his left leg on Sunday, February 22, 2026. Deputies discovered blood, a spent shell, a bullet, and an impact mark on the floor of Sosa-Pinto’s bedroom, as well as several vape cartridges containing THC resin.
The investigation indicated that Sosa-Pinto accidentally shot himself, as evidenced by powder burns on his left hand and thigh near the entry wound. When confronted with contradictions in his statement, Sosa-Pinto retracted his claim of being a drive-by shooting victim.
Sosa-Pinto was detained after receiving medical care and charged with falsely reporting a firearm used in a violent manner, possessing cannabis resin, and drug paraphernalia. He was transferred to the Sheriff’s Processing Center, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
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