MONTGOMERY, AL – A stunning blow to the streets of Montgomery as a second suspect in the March 10, 2025, dry cleaning business robbery has pleaded guilty. Spencer Thomas, 67, from Prattville, Alabama, entered a federal court plea today for one count of Hobbs Act robbery, facing up to 20 years behind bars.
This comes after Zedekiah Sykes, 58, also of Montgomery, entered his own guilty plea to the same charge. Both Sykes and Thomas are scheduled for sentencing hearings in the coming months, as justice catches up with these perpetrators.
But it doesn’t end there. Spirit Hooks, 51, and Clinton Thompson, 55, both from Birmingham, have been tagged as alleged accomplices in this heist. The trio, led by Sykes and Thomas, shattered the front door of the business on East South Street with a rock, forcing their way inside and confronting the business owner at gunpoint – later revealed to be a BB gun.
The victim, struggling to recall the safe combination, was struck in the eye, leaving visible bruising. The gang made off with around $8,000 before leaving their hostage tied up and robbed of his personal belongings. They escaped in the vehicle of the terrorized owner.
This case has been a collaboration between the FBI, Montgomery Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Task Force, with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office lending support. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits is handling the prosecution of this despicable act.
Part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative to combat illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime like this, the coordinated efforts have once again proven effective in dismantling an organized crime ring.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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