A jury found a man guilty of being the lookout for a group who ambushed and robbed an armored truck of over $150,000 in Ellenton, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Jorge Serrano Espinoza, a 20-year-old from Clearwater, appeared in a Tampa courtroom on Wednesday where court records show a federal jury convicted him on robbery and firearm charges.
On June 9, 2023, prosecutors say Espinoza, James Battle Jr. and Carlos Keanu Smith followed an armored truck along its route from Pinellas County to the One9 Travel Center gas station and truck stop at 5215 17th St. E., Ellenton.
As the GardaWorld employee returned to the armored truck after picking up a deposit, prosecutors say Battle and Smith approached the man, pointing pistols at him and forcing him to the ground before taking the keys to his vehicle and removing “several bags.”
The men stole more than $150,000 from the armored truck before fleeing the scene, according to an arrest report.