Tampa Serial Robber Convicted
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that a federal jury has found Johnny Flores, 45, of Tampa, guilty of three counts of Hobbs Act robbery. Flores faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 22, 2024.
According to evidence presented at the trial, between February 13 and February 25, 2022, Flores entered three Tampa businesses wearing a hooded sweatshirt and facial covering. He brandished and threatened the victims with a weapon, stealing cash from the registers. During the robberies, Flores verbally and physically assaulted the victims.
Flores was initially identified through video surveillance recordings that showed him leaving two of the robberies in a vehicle traced back to an individual. That individual identified Flores but died before the trial. A second individual testified that he had driven Flores to a location near the remaining robbery, claiming he was unaware of Flores' intentions. Additional video surveillance recordings showed Flores at a clinic before the robberies, wearing similar clothing. Law enforcement subsequently identified him.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program uniting all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, aiming to make neighborhoods safer. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy, strengthening PSN based on core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
For Immediate Release: U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida
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