A Tampa man, Donald Robert Smith, age 29, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to spend the next 24 years in federal prison due to his involvement in a series of violent armed robberies that placed the community at risk. Smith’s sentence is a direct consequence of his actions that included three separate Hobbs Act robberies, the brandishing of a firearm during one of those robberies, and the discharge of a firearm in one another, per details from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The string of crimes began on August 1, 2022, when Smith carried out the first robbery, intimidating employees at a Tampa business with a firearm. Continuing his crime spree, Smith struck again on August 3, pointing his gun at a cashier in another local business and demanding cash. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), while investigating the early incidents, found a Taurus 9mm handgun in Smith's vehicle during a search warrant execution, which was matched to a casing from yet another robbery on the same day as the first. For his court plea, Smith has agreed to forfeit the firearm used across these offenses.
Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman took charge of the prosecution, while Assistant United States Attorney James Muench is handling the forfeiture. As outlined by a press release from the Department of Justice, this case forms a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative which aims to stitch together both law enforcement and the public to fight back against violent crime and gun violence, aiming for safer communities for all.
Launched in May 2021, the Department's violent crime reduction strategy revitalizes PSN with a set of core principles that include fostering community trust, backing organizations that prevent violence, setting clear enforcement priorities and gauging the tangible outcomes of these efforts. The earnest effort to restore peace and reduce gun-related violence reflects an enduring commitment to public safety and underscores the gravity of crimes like those committed by Smith.
