TAMPA, FL – Richard Allen Randolph, 44, of Youngstown, Ohio, is facing a potential life sentence after a federal jury found him guilty of a series of terrifying armed robberies that plagued Tampa businesses in early 2020. Randolph was convicted of three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of attempted robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm, and one count of discharging a firearm during the commission of the robberies – a haul of charges that carries a minimum statutory penalty of 100 years in federal prison on the firearm counts alone, plus up to 20 years for each robbery. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30, 2024.
Between January 27th and February 26th, 2020, Randolph targeted four Tampa-area commercial establishments, consistently entering while cloaked in a hooded sweatshirt and mask. Witnesses testified they lived in fear as Randolph brandished a Beretta Pico pistol, demanding cash from terrified clerks. The final incident on February 26th escalated into a dangerous pursuit when the victim’s boyfriend intervened. Randolph, attempting to flee, discharged the pistol twice in the business’s parking lot as the couple scrambled to safety, leaving behind bullet casings that would ultimately link him to the crime.
The case, dubbed “Beretta Bandit” by investigators, went cold for over a year. The breakthrough came in July 2021 when the Collier County Sheriff’s Office stopped an individual possessing a Beretta Pico. While not the initial robber, the individual revealed he’d purchased the weapon from Randolph, a former coworker. This tip sparked a renewed investigation, and forensic examiners with the ATF laboratory determined the pistol was, in fact, the same one used in the final Tampa robbery. The connection, though indirect, was enough to begin building a case.
Despite the robber’s attempts to conceal his identity, the evidence presented at trial proved damning. While victims couldn’t directly identify Randolph due to his disguise, the recovered Beretta Pico, combined with the coworker’s testimony and meticulous forensic analyses conducted by the ATF in Atlanta, painted a clear picture. Location data analyses performed by the FBI further solidified the prosecution’s argument. The courtroom heard harrowing accounts of the terror inflicted upon the victims during each robbery.
The collaborative investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with crucial assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Brooke Padgett secured the conviction. The case is a key component of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, a nationwide program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaborative law enforcement efforts and community engagement.
The Department of Justice highlights that this prosecution is part of a broader strategy to address violent crime through focused enforcement and community partnerships. The PSN program emphasizes fostering trust with local communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, and rigorously measuring the impact of these initiatives. For Randolph, however, the program’s success comes at the cost of potentially spending the rest of his life behind bars. The question now is whether a judge will impose the maximum sentence, ensuring he’s no longer a threat to the public.
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Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Press Release
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