Fruit Down Brims Gang Leader Found With Weapons Stash in Polk County

TAMPA, FL — A 31-year-old Poinciana gang member has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.

As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Micheal Hankerson to forfeit firearms and ammunition. Hankerson was found guilty on Dec. 3.

According to court documents, in May 2022, investigators found out that a known member of the Fruit Town Brims gang, a notorious South-Central Los Angeles blood gang, who had been wanted on felony warrants from Alachua County for more than a month, was living in Hankerson’s home in Poinciana. Hankerson was known to be a high-ranking member of the Fruit Town Brims gang.

On May 10, 2022, the United States Marshal's Fugitive Task Force entered the home to arrest the fugitive. As they searched the house, they spotted a firearm with an attached large drum magazine in plain view in the master bedroom.

Hankerson, who had previously been convicted of robbery and served a five-year prison sentence, is prohibited from possessing a firearm. The task force officers informed Florida Department of Law Enforcement and FBI agents.

After obtaining a warrant to search Hankerson’s residence, FDLE investigators searched the house and found multiple firearms and various types of ammunition. The firearm that had been seen in the master bedroom, a CZ Scorpion Evo 3 semi-automatic with a 50-round drum magazine attached, was loaded with 50 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, according to court records.

Investigators also recovered parts of a disassembled AR-1- style pistol in the house. When assembled, the pistol—which had been painted and its serial number filed off —was functional and capable of firing .223 caliber ammunition. Investigators also recovered 97 rounds of ammunition during the search, including 9 mm ammunition, .223-caliber ammunition and 12-gauge shotgun shells.

Hankerson admitted to investigators that he was the highest-ranking member of the Brims gang in Florida. He also admitted that he had spray-painted the components to the AR-15 style firearm. He claimed that the CZ Scorpion firearm belonged to his girlfriend, who was not a convicted felon, but investigators obtained evidence indicating Hankerson had acquired the firearm and was its true owner, according to court records.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.