Brandale Swails, Gas Station Robbery, Florida 2024

Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Gas Station Robbery

A brazen daylight robbery at a Tampa gas station ended with a guilty plea for 29-year-old Brandale Swails. On [date], Swails entered a local gas station, pointing a firearm at a clerk and demanding cash.

According to court documents, Swails arrived at the gas station on a bicycle, entered the business, and pointed a gun at the clerk, who immediately hid behind the counter. Swails then jumped over the counter and continued to point the firearm at the clerk, threatening to shoot if he didn’t open the register.

Swails held the victim at gunpoint while directing him into a bathroom, before exiting the business and fleeing on the bicycle. The employee was shaken but unharmed.

Two weeks later, Swails was arrested while hiding inside a bedroom closet. He now faces a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years, up to life, in federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. By fostering trust and legitimacy in the community, supporting local organizations, and setting focused enforcement priorities, the program aims to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

Brandale Swails is scheduled to appear in court on November 7, 2024, for his sentencing hearing. The outcome of the case remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: justice is being served in this violent crime.

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