$150,000 armored truck heist ends with 10 years for armed robber

FLORIDA—An armored truck robber who threatened its driver with a firearm has been sentenced to prison.

U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced James Battle, Jr., 29, of Palm Harbor, to 10 years in federal prison for Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the robbery.

Mr Battle entered a guilty plea on January 22, 2024.

According to court documents, on the morning of June 9, 2023, Battle and Carlos Keanu Smith met to rob an armored truck. They reportedly followed the armored truck along its route from Pinellas County to eastern Hillsborough County before eventually reaching a gas station in Ellenton.

Toll records from the Florida Department of Transportation show Battle’s vehicle following seconds behind the targeted armored truck that morning. Surveillance video showed the vehicle also following the armored truck to other locations before conducting the robbery at the gas station in Ellenton when the driver returned to his vehicle.

Mr Battle and Mr Smith are said to have approached the victim with pistols pointed at him, forcing him to the ground. They reportedly stole more than $150,000 from the armored truck.

Smith pleaded guilty on December 14, 2023. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 25, 2024.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth is prosecuting it, and Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench is handling the forfeiture.