POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Mulberry man is facing multiple felony charges after deputies e say he fabricated a story about a drive-by shooting to cover up an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident, which began Sunday afternoon, February 22, 2026, ended with the 22-year-old behind bars at the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
The investigation kicked off when a detective with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Lakeland Regional Health. James Ansony Sosa-Pinto had arrived at the emergency room seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his left leg.
According to initial reports, Sosa-Pinto told medical staff and investigators that he had been the victim of a drive-by shooting at his residence.
However, the scene at the Mulberry home told a different story. When deputies arrived to process the bedroom where the shooting allegedly occurred, they found blood, a spent shell casing, a stray bullet, and a fresh impact mark on the floor. While searching the room, investigators also discovered several vape cartridges filled with THC resin and various items of drug paraphernalia.
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The physical evidence on Sosa-Pinto himself further contradicted his claims. Medical examinations showed that the bullet entered his thigh and exited through his calf. More tellingly, detectives found distinct powder burns around the entry wound and on Sosa-Pinto’s left hand—markings typically caused by a firearm being discharged at extremely close range.
When detectives confronted Sosa-Pinto with the forensic evidence and the inconsistencies in his story, he reportedly backtracked, claiming he never actually said a drive-by shooting had occurred.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office subsequently arrested Sosa-Pinto. He is currently charged with making a false report of a firearm used in a violent manner, possession of cannabis resin, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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