An Orlando man, Nijah Jahni Mitchell, 23, has been convicted by a federal jury on multiple charges related to a series of armed robberies that plagued convenience stores across Central Florida in March and April of 2023. As United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced, Mitchell is facing a serious period behind bars, with a minimum sentence of 28 years and the possibility of life in prison.
The U.S. Attorney's Office detailed that, alongside his co-defendant Dany Telfort, 20, from Orlando, Mitchell engaged in nine armed robberies over several nights. These crimes weren't isolated events but occurred in sprees. The first involved four stores, the second included three, and the final spree ended with two. In each instance, one of the men would brandish a firearm, terrorizing clerks to hand over the cash, making it clear these were no petty thieves but serious felons determined to collect their loot through fear and violence.
Despite the terror they sowed, a breakthrough came after the second robbery spree when a witness managed to catch a partial license plate of their vehicle. Law enforcement, vigilant and ready, spotted the car on the night of the final robbery. A high-stakes chase ended with Mitchell's arrest while Telfort briefly vanished into the night. According to the evidence presented at trial, at the time of his capture, Mitchell was adorned in the same incriminating clothing and mask worn during the final spree, and a loaded Glock pistol was found in his possession.
However, Telfort's escape was short-lived as he had previously pleaded guilty and had already begun serving an 18-year federal sentence. The pistol left behind in the vehicle, a loaded Taurus, tied both Telfort and Mitchell to the crimes via DNA evidence.
Mitchell's sentencing hearing, as the justice system turns its gears, is scheduled for August 26 and will conclude this chapter of a crime spree that shook Central Florida communities.
