Tampa 'Career Criminal' Headed To Prison For 21 Years

Tampa FL

08 November, 2021

12:09 PM

Description

TAMPA, FL — A Tampa man is headed to federal prison for nearly 22 years after being found guilty of possessing ammunition as a convicted felon, obstruction of justice and attempted witness tampering. U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell sentenced Sergio Antonio Hood, 37, to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison. Because Hood is designated an "armed career criminal," his sentence carries a minimum mandatory 15 years in federal prison. The court also imposed a consecutive sentence of 12 months' imprisonment for Hood's violation of federal supervised release. A jury had found Hood guilty on June 8. According to court documents, on Oct. 27, 2019, one week after meeting and beginning a relationship with a woman, Hood showed up at her home near Ybor City. Finding the woman sitting in a parked car with a friend, Hood pushed his assault-style rifle through the open window, pointed it at the woman's head and fired. The bullet missed the woman and went through the other side of the car. At the scene, police officers found one spent 9 mm bullet casing on the street. Hood was arrested on state charges the following day. At the time of the shooting, Hood was on federal supervised release. As a result, he was transferred to federal custody to address his violations of the conditions of his supervised release. While in jail, Hood created a false alibi and asked a witness to falsely testify at a federal court hearing regarding those violations. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on the charges. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.