A Gainesville man, Jhakheem Smith, age 26, has been sentenced to a term of over ten years following his involvement in the armed robbery of a Clearwater convenience store, as detailed in a report by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Store surveillance footage from the November 2023 incident captured Smith and an accomplice, identified only as Jones in court documents, leaping over the counter and confronting an employee, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The footage also showed Smith searching the premises for an additional stash of cash rumored to be in a safe, which, however, he never managed to find. During the investigation, text messages revealing the planning of the robbery were discovered on Jones’s phone, clear evidence of premeditation. Smith, who had earlier pleaded guilty to robbing, did unsuccessfully attempt to defend himself against the charge of brandishing a firearm during the violent crime—a federal jury later found him guilty in March 2025. His accomplice, Jones, pleaded guilty to all charges and received nearly 13 years behind bars.
U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland handed down Smith’s sentence, which totals 10 years and 6 months in federal prison. The case was brought to a close through the collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and local police departments. the trial and sentencing were part of a broader initiative known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). This program aims to connect law enforcement at all levels with the communities they serve, prioritizing the reduction of violent crime and gun violence and creating a safer environment for all…