Tampa Man Sentenced To More Than 13 Years For Conspiracy To Commit Robbery And Armed Robberies Of Auto Parts Stores In Tampa

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Steve Jackson (41, Tampa) to 13 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Jackson had pleaded guilty on June 23, 2023. His codefendant, Antonio Brown, previously pleaded guilty and is pending sentencing.

According to court documents, on August 29, 2021, Jackson and Brown drove to an auto parts store on South Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa carrying firearms and wearing surgical masks as they entered the store. They brandished their firearms, demanded money from store employees, and stole approximately $300 from the cash registers. 

Shortly after completing the first robbery, Jackson and Brown drove to an auto parts store on 50^th Street North in Tampa, where they again entered wearing masks and carrying firearms. They pointed their firearms at store clerks and demanded money from the cash registers. Jackson and Brown stole approximately $1,140 during this robbery.

Later that evening, officers from the Tampa Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Brown was driving. During a search of the car, they found a distinctive hat that one of the robbers had worn during the armed robberies, approximately $900 in cash, and Jackson’s wallet containing his identification.  Further investigation revealed that Jackson had been in the vicinity of the auto parts stores at the times of the robberies. Officers also found the clothes Jackson wore during the robberies in his garbage outside of his residence.

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.

 This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee, Michael Sinacore, and Charlie Connally.