RIVERVIEW, Fla. – Hillsborough County deputies arrested a Riverview man Monday night after they said he made threats to a witness and later was found with a firearm inside his home despite a criminal record spanning decades.
Kenneth Allan Smith, 54, was taken into custody around 9:30 p.m. on Gordon Road after a brief encounter with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit. Deputies said Smith was leaving the residence when they arrested him without incident.
It started earlier that evening when deputies were called to the 12900 block of Gordon Road for a reported barricaded subject. Once on scene, they learned Smith had called a witness and made threats, according to arrest reports.
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During the initial investigation, deputies discovered Smith is a 54-time convicted felon with prior battery convictions and a previous prison sentence for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon.
The next day, detectives got a warrant to search Smith’s bedroom. Inside, they found a gun.
Smith now faces charges of resisting arrest without violence and felon in possession of a firearm.
Sheriff Chad Chronister said the arrest was about keeping the community safe from someone with a long history of violent crime.
“Individuals with extensive violent criminal histories who continue to disregard the law will be held accountable,” Chronister said. “Our deputies and detectives acted quickly to ensure this individual no longer had access to a firearm, prioritizing the safety of our community.”
Smith was booked into the Hillsborough County jail.
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