Lee couple charged in armed robbery spree at businesses in four counties

A Lee County duo has been charged in connection with five armed robberies and one attempted holdup at businesses near I-75 in mid-September around the region, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Taleah Williams, 21, of North Fort Myers, and Javion Ward, 21, of Fort Myers, have been charged with Hobbs Act robbery. The Hobbs Act prohibits actual or attempted robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce.

Prosecutors say Williams came up with the plan to hold up stores in close proximity to I-75 and provided the vehicle and firearm. Then the week of Sept. 15, officials say Williams or Ward entered businesses armed with a firearm and demanded money from clerks in Hillsborough, Sumter, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

The robberies were at these locations, according to the criminal complaint:

• 7-Eleven at 17621 Bruce B Downs Blvd. in Tampa
• Pilot gas station at 493 State Road 44 in Lake Panasoffkee
• Circle K gas station at 9218 Gibsonton Drive in Gibsonton
• 7-Eleven at 6402 US 301 N. in Ellenton
• 7-Eleven at 107 Montecito St. in Nokomis
• 7-Eleven at 4895 N. Toledo Blade Blvd. in North Port

Prosecutors say the two drove to a Tampa convenience store on Sept. 16, which Ward robbed at gunpoint for about $600. On Sept. 17, authorities allege Williams tried to rob a gas station in Lake Panasoffkee using the same gun but left without taking any money.

The morning of Sept. 19, prosecutors say Williams drove Ward to four stores, where he went in with a gun and demanded money — in Gibsonton, Ellenton, Nokomis and North Port. In Ellenton, authorities say he threatened to pistol-whip an employee if the clerk did not move faster, while in Gibsonton, officials allege he jumped the counter to try to get into the safe.

In the days following the Tampa and Sumter County robberies, officers in various jurisdictions honed in on a black Honda sedan that was co-owned by Williams based on area surveillance footage.

Within hours of the last robbery, in North Port, Williams posted an Instagram video of the duo in which Ward was holding stacks of cash in both hands, according to the criminal complaint.

The Fort Myers Police Department took Ward into custody during a Sept. 19 traffic stop due to an active arrest warrant for violating probation, according to the criminal complaint.

The morning of Sept. 20, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence and found items there matching clothing the duo had worn during the robberies, including a black ski mask, according to the criminal complaint. Williams confessed to the armed robberies and said she received more than $500 from the crimes, the complaint says.

If convicted, Williams and Ward each face up to 20 years in federal prison.

The arrests resulted from an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; Tampa Police Department; Sumter County Sheriff’s Office; Manatee County Sheriff’s Office; North Port Police Department; Fort Myers Police Department; and Venice Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth will prosecute the case.