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| 22-year-old James Ansony Sosa-Pinto / PCSO |
By Ciara Perez
iSkyNews.com (ISN) – Published February 24, 2026
PCSO: Mulberry Man Shot Himself, Falsely Claimed Drive-By Attack
MULBERRY, Fla. — A Mulberry man is facing felony charges after Polk County deputies say he falsely reported being the victim of a drive-by shooting, when investigators determined he had actually shot himself.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded on Sunday, February 22, 2026, to a reported drive-by shooting at a residence on 2nd Avenue NW in Mulberry. The investigation began after 22-year-old James Ansony Sosa-Pinto arrived at Lakeland Regional Health’s emergency room that afternoon with a gunshot wound to his left legand told staff he had been shot.
Deputies went to Sosa-Pinto’s home and found blood inside his bedroom, along with a spent casing, a bullet, and an impact mark on the floor, indicating the gun had been fired inside the residence.
Investigators also recovered multiple vape cartridges containing THC resin from the bedroom during the search.
Medical evaluation showed the bullet had entered Sosa-Pinto’s thigh and exited through his calf. Deputies noted powder burns near the entry wound and on his left hand, evidence that the firearm had been discharged at close range.
Based on the physical evidence and the nature of the wound, detectives concluded that Sosa-Pinto accidentally shot himself, contradicting his initial claim of a drive-by shooting.
When confronted with the inconsistencies, Sosa-Pinto backtracked and claimed he never actually reported being the victim of a drive-by.
After receiving treatment for his injury, Sosa-Pinto was arrested and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
He was charged with False Report of a Firearm Used in a Violent Manner (F2), Possession of Cannabis Resin (F3), and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1).
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation remains ongoing.
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