BONIFAY: A man with an active Oregon warrant for attempted murder caught in Holmes County after deputies were called to a possible kidnapping at a rest stop was sentenced to 8 years in prison Tuesday on the charge of convicted felon possessing a firearm.
State Attorney Larry Basford announced David Eugene Grant, 39, of Oregon, was found guilty by a Holmes County jury after deliberating for 10 minutes. Circuit Court Judge Russell Roberts sentenced the defendant to 8 years in prison.
Holmes County Chief Prosecutor Jacob Cook called 3 witnesses and presented evidence proving the defendant, a convicted felon, was in possession of a shotgun and a revolver when deputies pulled him over June 18, 2024.
“We take a hard line on felons possessing firearms, especially ones with violent criminal histories, which was the case with this defendant,” Cook said. “Our community is a safer place now that David Grant is behind bars for the next 8 years.”
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According to testimony and evidence, the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office was notified there was a possible kidnapping involving the suspect holding a woman against her will in a Chevrolet Impala at a rest stop near Ponce de Leon on County Road 81.
Deputy Cory Guster responded and spotted a car matching the description leaving the area and pulled it over. The car was subsequently searched, and when a deputy pulled a suitcase out of the trunk, he saw a Remington 12-gauge shotgun underneath it. Inside the bag, deputies found a .38-caliber revolver hidden in a sock.
The defendant, based on a previous conviction in Oregon for escape, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and driving without a valid driver’s license. A warrant check also showed he was wanted in Oregon for Attempted Murder in a shooting that occurred less than a month earlier.
Basford thanked the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office for its quick response to the initial call and follow-up work that led to the recovery of the weapons.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.