Fourth suspect charged with first-degree murder in shooting of  Bradenton smoke shop owner

A grand jury has indicted a fourth suspect on a first-degree murder charge in the shooting death of Mohammed Hamed at the Green Galaxy Smoke and Vape Shop during an armed robbery in September 2019.

Amado Zeppi, James Brewer and Michael Hepner were indicted in January of last year. In order to get all four suspects on the same indictment, a grand jury had to be convened to present the cases against all four defendants charged.

After convening all day on Wednesday, the grand jury handed up the indictment, charging all four men, including Coty Paulk, with first-degree murder, said Assistant State Attorney Suzanne O’Donnell. At the time of the initial indictment, Paulk was not indicted and remained at large.

In Florida, only a grand jury can bring first-degree murder charges.

Zeppi, 21, was determined to be the one who killed Hamed during the robbery after striking Hamed with a bayonet attached to a rifle, according to investigators. Detectives say the rifle discharged upon impact, killing Hamed.

Paulk, 22, was arrested in May of 2020 after investigators used DNA evidence to link him to a jacket worn by someone captured by the store’s video surveillance system during the robbery.

Detectives say on Sept. 17, 2019, Brewer exited a vehicle being driven by Hepner and entered the smoke shop to distract Hamed, who owned the business with his brother and was known to sleep there.

Zeppi, armed with a SKA rifle, and Paulk got out of the same vehicle a short time after Brewer.

Zeppi, without provocation, went to strike Hamed with the bayonet when the rifle fired.

All four men were initially charged with second-degree murder. Each is being held without bond at the Manatee County jail.

They are also each facing a charge of armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon, according to court records.

Zeppi’s defense is seeking to have his case tried separately, according to court records. In the motion to sever, Assistant Public Defender Anne Hunter said Zeppi, Brewer and Hepner could not get a fair trial without separating the cases because Hepner implicated the other two men during his own confession to detectives.

This story was originally published January 14, 2021 at 11:06 AM.