A dispute over a counterfeit $50 bill has landed a Polk County man in deep legal trouble. Daniel McCall, 54, was arrested after he reportedly went to a home to confront two people with a gun. McCall claimed he was only trying to collect a debt, as the individuals had previously paid him for mechanical work on their vehicle using a counterfeit $50 bill.
Investigation Reveals More Than Just a Debt Dispute
However, the two victims told a different story to investigators. They admitted to purchasing $50 worth of marijuana from McCall, stating they had no idea the bill they used to pay him was counterfeit. When asked about the firearm used during the confrontation, McCall—who is a convicted felon—initially minimized the weapon, telling deputies it was simply a black water pistol and that he had thrown it away.
Unconvinced by the water gun story, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office obtained and executed a search warrant on McCall’s residence. The search revealed a starkly different reality than a toy squirt gun. Inside the home, deputies discovered a real, loaded black-and-silver 9mm handgun alongside matching ammunition. Furthermore, the search uncovered significant quantities of illegal narcotics, including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
