Robbery spree that hit Manatee County business leads to federal charges
Two Lee County residents face federal charges after a multi-county armed robbery spree that targeted businesses along Interstate 75, including a gas station in Ellenton.
Federal prosecutors allege Taleah Williams, 21, of North Fort Myers, and Javion Ward, 21, of Fort Myers, carried out a string of robberies at stores along I-75 in Manatee, Hillsborough, Sumter and Sarasota counties, threatening clerks with a pistol and fleeing with cash.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said it has filed a criminal complaint accusing the pair of Hobbs Act robbery, a charge punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Ellenton robbery leads to federal charges
According to the criminal complaint, Williams devised the plan to rob stores near I-75, supplying both the firearm and the vehicle the pair used.
The spree began Sept. 16, when investigators said Ward allegedly robbed a Tampa convenience store, taking about $600. The next morning, prosecutors said Williams tried to rob a gas station in Lake Panasoffkee but left without money.
Three days later, the pair struck again at four locations in quick succession, including Ellenton, the criminal filing said.
In Ellenton, prosecutors said Ward pointed a pistol at a clerk and threatened to beat them with it if they didn’t move quickly enough. That same morning, investigators allege Williams also drove Ward to stores in Gibsonton, Nokomis and North Port. In Gibsonton, Ward allegedly jumped over the counter in an attempt to reach the store’s safe, according to prosecutors.
Suspects posted photos with stacks of cash, feds say
Just hours after the Sept. 19 robberies, prosecutors said Williams allegedly posted photos on social media showing herself and Ward together, with Ward holding stacks of cash in both hands.
Investigators executed a search warrant at Williams’s North Fort Myers home the next morning, according to an arrest report. They say they found clothing that matched what the two had worn during the robberies.
The FBI led the investigation with help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Manatee and Hillsborough sheriff’s offices and several other agencies, according to a news release.
Officials said the arrests are part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice program aimed at combating violent crime, cartels and organized criminal networks.
