CLEARWATER, Fla. – A Gainesville man will spend more than a decade behind bars for a 2023 armed hold-up at a Clearwater convenience store, where suspects were caught on camera hunting for a safe they never found.
U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland has sentenced Jhakheem Smith, 26, to 10 years and 6 months in federal prison. The sentence follows a legal process that saw Smith plead guilty to some charges while fighting others at trial.
The incident unfolded on November 8, 2023. According to evidence and testimony presented in court, Smith and a co-defendant, identified as Jones, stormed the business. Surveillance footage played a central role in the prosecution, capturing the moment both men leaped over the counter to confront a victim…