Two men from Jacksonville, Nathaniel Cox and Ahli Fields, have been indicted on federal charges related to a string of armed robberies throughout the Middle District of Florida. The United States Attorney's Office announced the indictment, which alleges that both men were involved in the robberies of various commercial businesses. Cox, 34, could face a life sentence if convicted on all counts and, having a prior firearm-related conviction, a minimum of 75 years in prison. Fields, 33, is looking at a minimum of 7 years behind bars.
The initial robbery that set this chain of events into motion, according to the indictment, took place at a grocery store in Ormond Beach on June 9, 2020, with the two men accused of brandishing a firearm. The following months saw Cox allegedly engaging in two more armed robberies and making three attempted robberies, brandishing a firearm during each successful robbery. Charged with possessing ammunition as a felon on two occasions in September 2020, possessing such is something Cox, due to his status as a convicted felon, is barred under federal law.
This federal case taps into the collaborative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, alongside various Florida law enforcement agencies and police departments from Manatee County, Ormond Beach, Titusville, Palmetto, and Ocala. Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang is tasked with the prosecution of the case. Both Cox and Fields remain innocent until proven guilty before the courts, a simple protocol reminded by the indictment itself.
The broader context of the case intersects with Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative emphasizing the eradication of illegal immigration, the dismantling of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and the reduction of violent crime within communities. This program seeks to unite and streamline efforts by the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood. Details about the indictment were outlined in a press release by the United States Attorney's Office today.
