A serial armed robber who targeted convenience stores near I-75 in Florida was sentenced.
According to court documents, 22-year-old Javion Ward personally robbed five convenience stores and aided a co-conspirator in attempting to rob a sixth store. The robberies took place in Hillsborough County, Sumter County, Manatee County, and Sarasota County, all in close proximity to I-75.
During each robbery in September 2025, Ward entered the store armed with a firearm and demanded money from the clerk. On September 16, 2025, Ward entered a convenience store in Tampa, brandished a pistol, demanded money, and obtained about $600. In the early morning hours of September 19, 2025, Ward robbed four more stores, in Gibsonton, Ellenton, Nokomis, and North Port, where each time Ward entered with a firearm and demanded cash. In Gibsonton, Ward jumped over the counter to attempt to access the safe. In Ellenton, he threatened to pistol whip the employee if they did not move faster.
Javion Ward, of Fort Myers, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday to 28 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The court also ordered Ward to forfeit the firearm used in the robberies.
This arrest was the result of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the North Port Police Department, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Venice Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. Ward pleaded guilty on June 25, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make local communities safe.
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