Florida Man Flew Into the Tampa International Airport from Oregon Carrying 64 Pounds of Marijuana
Phillip Michael Valeriani, who flew into the Tampa International Airport from Medford, Oregon, with 64 pounds of marijuana inside three suitcases on May 12, 2024, could spend 75 years in a federal prison.
Guilty of Possessing Cocaine and Marijuana With Intent to Distribute
This has been confirmed by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe of the Florida Middle District’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, who states in a press release that Valeriani was found guilty by a federal jury of possessing cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute.
Prior to trial, Valeriani was also found guilty, as a convicted felon, of possessing a machine gun, a firearm, and a silencer. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 10, 2025.
The Accused Ordered 63 Glock Switch Components From China
Evidence at trial revealed that Valeriani used a fictitious name to order 63 Glock Switch components from China, which were concealed inside a toy car box that was seized at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
A search of his Plant City, Florida, residence uncovered a machine gun, a rifle, a silencer, and dozens of firearms components. Also found inside the house were distribution quantities of marijuana and crack cocaine, as well as FBI and DEA raid jackets.
The Hillsboro County Sheriff’s Office was involved in the case together with Homeland Security Investigations, the Plant City Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Tampa International Airport Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Adam W. McCall.