A Charlotte man, 37-year-old Joshua Magraff, was arrested during a Florida traffic stop after deputies uncovered he was traveling with a missing 16-year-old Gastonia girl reported absent since February 16.
Traffic stop details
Putnam County deputies pulled over Magraff’s speeding car near Crescent City around 9:40 p.m. on March 8. The girl initially gave false names and birth dates (including one suggesting she was 12), while Magraff claimed she was first his “16-year-old cousin,” then a “friend” he thought was 19. They said they were headed to Orlando for arcades; officials suspect they met online and had been traveling across states.
Additional discoveries
A vehicle search revealed 19 counterfeit $100 bills, synthetic marijuana, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. The girl stayed calm throughout, later contacting her mother (who knew Magraff but confirmed the missing report); she’s now with Florida’s Department of Children and Families pending reunification.
Charges and status
Magraff faces interference with child custody, synthetic marijuana possession, counterfeit currency possession, contributing to a minor’s delinquency, and drug paraphernalia possession—held on $9,000 bond at Putnam County Jail. Federal charges may follow in this ongoing probe, crediting sharp deputy instincts on a routine stop.
