TAMPA, Fla. — Four Tampa men have been sentenced to federal prison for the armed robberies of two convenience stores, prosecutors said.
U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday sentenced Tra-Vontae Watson, 32, to 20 years and five months in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Ronald Brown, 25, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, Jermaine Dawes, 33, was sentenced to 14 years and 10 months, and E’barous Harris, 27, was sentenced to 14 years and seven months.
Each man previously pleaded guilty, prosecutors said.
According to court documents and court proceedings, the men conspired to rob two Tampa convenience stores in July 2024.
Prosecutors said Harris, Watson and Brown went inside the stores while Dawes acted as the lookout and getaway driver.
Watson and Brown carried firearms and used them to steal cash from both stores, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Law enforcement later found the men at a Tampa motel.
Prosecutors said surveillance footage from the motel showed the four men getting in and out of the vehicle used in the robberies. A rifle could also be seen being loaded into the vehicle.
Investigators later executed search warrants at multiple motel rooms connected to the men and found a rifle consistent with the one seen on video and used in the robberies, prosecutors said.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Tampa Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Newman prosecuted the case.
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