TAMPA, Fla. – Brandale Swails, a 29-year-old Tampa resident, has pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during a robbery, a crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison. He could potentially face a life sentence.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 7, 2024.
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Court documents reveal that Swails, armed with a gun, entered a gas station and demanded money from the clerk. He threatened to shoot the employee, forcing him to open the register and then into a bathroom. Swails fled the scene on a bicycle.
Two weeks later, he was apprehended while hiding in a bedroom closet.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives jointly investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes is leading the prosecution.
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