Armored Truck Bandit Gets 10 Years for $150,000 Heist

Tampa, FL – In a brazen daylight robbery, James Battle Jr., 29, of Palm Harbor, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the robbery.

Battle entered a guilty plea on January 22, 2024, after a thorough investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.

According to court documents, on the morning of June 9, 2023, Battle and his accomplice, Carlos Keanu Smith, met to rob an armored truck. They followed the armored truck along its route from Pinellas County to eastern Hillsborough County before eventually reaching a gas station in Ellenton.

Toll records from the Florida Department of Transportation show Battle’s vehicle following seconds behind the targeted armored truck that morning. Surveillance video showed the vehicle also following the armored truck to other locations before conducting the robbery at the gas station in Ellenton when the driver returned to his vehicle.

During the robbery, Battle and Smith approached the victim with pistols pointed at him, forcing him to the ground. They stole more than $150,000 from the armored truck. Smith pleaded guilty on December 14, 2023, and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 25, 2024.

The forfeiture in this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. 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.

Project Safe Neighborhoods is a program that has been in place since May 26, 2021, with the goal of making our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The program is based on four 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.