Tennessee Man Indicted For Robbing Pizza Shop With A Firearm

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Justin Alan Seymour (37, Tennessee) with one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The same grand jury had previously returned an indictment charging Seymour with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Seymour faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the robbery offense, up to life in prison for the first firearm offense, and up to 15 years in federal prison for the second firearm offense.

According to court documents, on October 21, 2024, Seymour robbed a pizza shop on Fowler Avenue in Tampa while brandishing a firearm. Two days later, law enforcement pulled over a vehicle driven by Seymour who had a firearm in his waistband. Seymour has a prior felony conviction for attempted robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and the Tampa Police Department with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handed 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.