Plant City has landed on federal radars in an uncommonly searing way. Local resident Phillip Michael Valeriani found himself in the throes of a guilty verdict after a jury convicted him of charges ranging from drug distribution to illegal weapons possession. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, yesterday, disclosed that Valeriani faces up to 75 years in prison, with the sentencing phase set for December 10, according to the Department of Justice.
The evidence presented at trial wasn’t light — it tilted heavily towards guilt. Valeriani, under a façade, imported 63 Glock Switch components from China. They were designed to convert firearms into automatic weapons and were intercepted, hidden within the deceptive packaging of a toy car box, at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Further investigation led authorities to Valeriani’s home, where they discovered an arsenal which included a machinegun and a rifle, alongside a more-easily-concealed silencer.
But the arms were not all the authorities found; there were also considerable amounts of drugs, including marijuana and crack cocaine. Diving deeper into Valeriani’s past reveals a history steeped in trafficking, marked by a 2024 robbery of drugs, cash, and firearms from his residence…