TAMPA, Florida — A 63-year-old man has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for robbery and firearm use during the crimes.
Jose Rodriguez, of Tampa, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday, according to United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. Court documents reveal that on August 4, 2024, Rodriguez entered a pizza shop in Tampa, brandished a pistol at employees, and demanded money, causing them to flee. On September 11, 2024, Rodriguez returned to the same shopping plaza, this time targeting a cellphone store. He threatened employees with a firearm, stating, “don’t move or I’ll shoot you,” before escaping with minimal cash.
Detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with ATF agents, responded promptly, gathering surveillance footage and identifying Rodriguez’s vehicle. Two days later, they located Rodriguez and executed a federal search warrant at his residence, recovering the two-tone .45 caliber Kahr pistol used in the robberies. A National Crime Information Center query revealed the firearm was stolen from a terminally ill man in Pennsylvania, whom Rodriguez also robbed of his car, cash, and personal items…