TAMPA, Fla. – Leanna Bryant, 28, of Tampa, has admitted her role in a pair of convenience store robberies last August, pleading guilty to multiple felony charges including robbery and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm.
The guilty plea, announced Friday by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, could land Bryant in federal prison for decades, with firearm charges carrying mandatory minimum sentences.
Investigators tracked Bryant through license plate readers and ultimately linked her to the crimes via fingerprints found in a vehicle connected to both robbery locations.
Bryant now awaits sentencing, facing up to 20 years for each robbery count, plus a minimum of seven years – potentially life – for each firearm offense, to be served consecutively.
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According to court documents and proceedings, Bryant conspired with others in August 2023 to rob two convenience stores. During both incidents, a firearm was brandished.
The investigation into these robberies yielded crucial evidence. Law enforcement officers identified a vehicle’s license plate through license plate readers near both robbery locations, with the recorded times closely coinciding with the times the robberies occurred.
Further investigation revealed Bryant’s fingerprints inside the vehicle.
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This case was the result of a collaborative effort by numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Temple Terrace Police Department, the Lakeland Police Department, and the North Port Police Department.
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