Tampa Area Man Pleads Guilty To Bank Robbery

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Junior Williams (44, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Williams faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Williams robbed or attempted to rob three banks in Tampa. On February 18, 2022, Williams robbed a bank by passing a note to a teller and obtaining cash through intimidation. Several weeks later, on March 8, 2022, Williams robbed the same bank a second time. On April 13, 2022, he attempted to rob another bank in the Tampa area, but the teller did not have access to any funds. Later that day, Williams robbed a third bank and obtained cash from a clerk through intimidation. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.