TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa man has been arrested and charged with Hobbs Act robbery after allegedly firing a gun at a gas station clerk during a robbery earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has announced.
Rafael Jimenez, 30, faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted. A criminal complaint alleges that on March 8, 2025, Mr Jimenez entered a Tampa gas station, brandished a firearm, and demanded money from the register.
He then allegedly fired a shot that struck the ground behind the clerk.
Mr Jimenez reportedly stole more than $600 and several packs of cigarettes before leaving the store. He was later identified through surveillance footage captured in the days prior to the robbery, which highlighted physical similarities and a distinctive tattoo.
Investigators said a search of Mr Jimenez’s trash outside his home revealed items matching those used in the robbery, including a ski mask, gloves, and cigarettes of the same brand. Surveillance video from nearby businesses also reportedly showed a vehicle resembling Mr Jimenez’s traveling near the scene before and after the robbery.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Newman is prosecuting it.
This case is being prosecuted under Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative that targets violent crime, transnational criminal organizations, and drug trafficking through collaboration with the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
A criminal complaint is a formal charge of a federal crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
