Fort Myers Couple Arrested Charged in Multi-County Armed Robbery Spree Along I-75
TAMPA, Fla. — Federal prosecutors have charged two Fort Myers residents in connection with a string of armed robberies that stretched across four counties along the I-75 corridor earlier this month.
According to a criminal complaint announced Monday by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe, Taleah Williams, 21, of North Fort Myers, and Javion Ward, 21, of Fort Myers, face charges under the Hobbs Act for a series of robberies committed between Sept. 15 and Sept. 19 in Hillsborough, Sumter, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
Investigators say Williams orchestrated the plan, providing both the getaway vehicle and the firearm used in the crimes. The complaint alleges the pair began their spree on Sept. 16 at a Tampa convenience store, where Ward brandished a pistol and stole about $600.
The following day, Williams allegedly attempted to rob a gas station in Lake Panasoffkee but left empty-handed. On Sept. 19, authorities say she drove Ward to four more businesses in Gibsonton, Ellenton, Nokomis, and North Port. In each case, Ward entered the stores with a firearm, demanding cash. At one location in Gibsonton, he allegedly vaulted over the counter in an attempt to access the safe, while in Ellenton, he threatened to pistol-whip an employee.
Federal agents noted that just hours after the robberies, Williams posted photos on social media of herself and Ward, including images of Ward holding large amounts of cash.
On Sept. 20, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’s residence, recovering clothing that matched surveillance footage from the robberies.
The investigation was led by the FBI with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as multiple local law enforcement agencies across the Tampa Bay region and Southwest Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Kenneth is prosecuting the case.
Prosecutors emphasized that the charges are allegations and both defendants remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The case is being prosecuted under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating violent crime, drug cartels, and transnational criminal organizations.
