A 22-year-old Fort Myers man is heading to federal prison for 28 years after carrying out an armed robbery spree targeting convenience stores along Interstate 75 last fall, federal officials announced.
U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday sentenced Javion Ward on charges of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge Merryday also ordered Ward to forfeit the handgun he used during the offenses. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the sentence following Ward’s guilty plea on June 25, 2026.
Federal court records confirm that the robberies took place across four Florida counties , Hillsborough, Sumter, Manatee, and Sarasota , with every targeted business sitting near I-75. Investigators determined that Ward personally executed five robberies and assisted an accomplice in attempting a sixth.
The spree kicked off on September 16, 2025, when Ward entered a Tampa convenience store armed with a pistol, demanded cash from the clerk, and walked away with approximately $600.
Just three days later, in the early morning hours of September 19, 2025, Ward hit four more stores in rapid succession, striking locations in Gibsonton, Ellenton, Nokomis, and North Port.
During the Gibsonton robbery, Ward jumped over the counter in an attempt to reach the store safe. In Ellenton, he threatened to pistol-whip a clerk he felt was moving too slowly.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the case alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Several local agencies contributed to the investigation, including the police departments of Tampa, North Port, Fort Myers, and Venice, as well as sheriff’s offices in Hillsborough, Sumter, and Manatee counties. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Kenneth handled the prosecution.
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