Kermon Williams, Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy, Florida 2026

Tampa, Florida – In a shocking turn of events, three men have been charged with a murder-for-hire conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of two men in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Day in 2019. United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced the return of a superseding indictment charging Kermon Williams, a/k/a “The General” (42, St. Petersburg), James Higgs, Jr., a/k/a “Hammer” (40, St. Petersburg), and Jhaphre Higgs, a/k/a “Pre,” (35, St. Petersburg) in relation to the murders of Roger Lee Ford Jr. (42), and Tywan Jeremiah Armstrong (39).

According to the superseding indictment, Williams asked Jhaphre and James Higgs, Jr. to kill Armstrong, who Williams saw as a threat to his drug business. Williams offered to pay them with drugs and money. The indictment alleges that the Higgses shot and attempted to kill Armstrong in September 2018, but Armstrong survived. Then on January 21, 2019, on Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Day, the Higgses shot and killed Tywan Armstrong and Roger Ford, and injured a third victim.

The indictment further alleges that both James and Jhaphre Higgs were convicted felons, who unlawfully possessed the firearms and ammunition used in the murders and that Jhaphre Higgs possessed additional firearms and ammunition on other dates. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. Both agencies have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the persons responsible for the homicides. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Hirt Adams.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the nationwide “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program, which is a crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

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