Sabastian Amrine, Armed Robbery, Florida 2022

Two Jacksonville men, Sabastian Amrine and Brandon Bayne, have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a string of convenience store robberies at gunpoint. Amrine, 20, was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison, while Bayne, 25, received a 10-year sentence.

According to court documents, Amrine and Bayne hatched a plan to rob convenience stores in Jacksonville in August 2021. On August 19, 2021, Bayne drove Amrine to a Circle K store, where Amrine brandished a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk, fearing for his life, handed over $120.

Over the next few days, Amrine and Bayne carried out a series of armed robberies at convenience stores in Jacksonville, including a Blue Store, Rainbow Food Store, Fast Stop Store, and GATE gas station. During one of the robberies, a small child was present inside the store with Amrine. The pair fled the scene in a vehicle, which was later pursued by a patrol officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Bayne crashed the vehicle into a ditch, and Amrine and Bayne fled on foot. Amrine was caught attempting to scale a fence, while Bayne was tracked down by a police canine unit hiding in a storage shed.

The Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol used in the robberies was recovered by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Amrine and Bayne pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2022 and November 2022, respectively. The court ordered the forfeiture of the pistol used in the robberies and will determine restitution to the victims at a later date.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kirwinn Mike and Laura Cofer Taylor as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.

Amrine and Bayne were residing together in Jacksonville when they formulated their plan to rob convenience stores at gunpoint. The court documents stated that Amrine and Bayne were a significant threat to public safety, and that the sentences handed down were necessary to protect the community.

The case highlights the importance of community-based organizations in preventing violence and the need for focused and strategic enforcement priorities to reduce violent crime and gun violence. The PSN program aims to foster trust and legitimacy in communities, support community-based organizations, and measure the results of the efforts.

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