Four Tampa men sentenced for 2 armed robberies of convenience stores (DOJ)

Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced four Tampa men for the armed robberies of two Tampa convenience stores. E'barous Harris (age 27) was sentenced to 14 years and 7 months in prison, Ronald Brown (age 25) to 15 years in prison, Jermaine Dawes (age 33) to 14 years and 10 months in prison, and Tra-Vontae Watson (age 32) to 20 years and 5 months in prison. Each previously pleaded guilty. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents and proceedings, in July 2024, the above-named individuals conspired together to rob the convenience stores. Harris, Watson, and Brown went inside the stores, while Dawes acted as the lookout and getaway driver. Watson and Brown carried firearms, which they utilized to steal cash from both locations. Law enforcement ultimately located the robbers at a motel in Tampa. Surveillance footage from the hotel showed the four men getting in and out of the vehicle used in the robberies, and the larger firearm, a rifle, could be seen being loaded into the vehicle as well. Search warrants for multiple hotel rooms associated with the individuals were executed and a rifle consistent with the one seen on video and used in the robberies was located.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.