Tampa Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Machinegun Possession
Michael Devante Curry, 31, of Tampa, was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty on multiple drug and firearm charges.
2 reports on this incident · first at Sep 3, 2026, 1:41 p.m. ET
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Earlier reports
Sep 3, 2026, 1:41 p.m. ETFirst report
Tampa Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Drug Trafficking and Machinegun Possession
Michael Devante Curry, 31, of Tampa, was sentenced on September 3, 2026, to 60 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a machinegun in furtherance of drug trafficking, and two counts of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle imposed the sentence. A federal jury found Curry guilty on May 29, 2026. The court also ordered Curry to forfeit the firearms and ammunition used in the offense, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
According to evidence presented at trial, from at least January through June 2025, Curry conspired with others to possess methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. On June 1, 2025, Tampa Police officers executing a search warrant found Curry hiding in a kitchen cabinet with fentanyl in his pocket and more than $3,000 in cash. Officers located nine firearms, including one equipped with a machinegun conversion device, as well as methamphetamine, crack cocaine, oxycodone pills, ammunition, a bulletproof vest, and firearm accessories, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Agents also seized cellphones and iCloud records containing messages about drug distribution in the Tampa area, and photographs and videos showing Curry with firearms, some equipped with machinegun conversion devices. Curry had prior felony convictions for possession of cocaine, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and fleeing and eluding law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Adkins, James C. Preston, and Jeff Chang. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative.
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Revision history
- Version 13 Sept 2026, 17:52current
First published.
- Version 13 Sept 2026, 17:41current
First published.
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