PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Two men from Pinellas County, Alex Jones, 31, and Jhakheem Smith, 24, with Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to commit that robbery, and one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery.
If convicted of the robbery offenses, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each charge, and the firearm offense carries a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment and court hearings, on November 8, 2023, Jones and Smith robbed a convenience store in the Clearwater area.
During the robbery, they brandished a firearm. They also used the firearm to strike the victim, a store clerk, in the back of the head. Jones and Smith then forced the victim at gunpoint to the back of the store before they fled the scene.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clearwater Police Department, and the Largo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
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