Four Tampa Men Arrested For Armed Robberies Of Convenience Stores

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrests and filing of a criminal complaint charging E'Barous Harris (25, Tampa), Ronald Brown (23, Riverview), Tra-Vontae Watson (30, Tampa), and Jermaine Dawes (32, Tampa) with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery. If convicted, each faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, on July 14, 2024, Harris, Brown, Watson, and Dawes robbed a convenience store in Tampa. One of the individuals carried a rifle, and another one forced a customer to the ground before stepping on the customer's back and stealing money from the customer. The defendants also stole money from the store's cash register.

On July 16, 2024, Harris, Brown, Watson, and Dawes robbed a second convenience store. Again, one of the individuals carried a rifle and another carried a pistol. The pistol was pointed at the store clerk's head and the clerk was struck as the defendants demanded money. The individuals stole money and tobacco products from the store.

The robberies were linked, and the defendants identified based in part on surveillance videos from inside and outside the stores, as well as data from the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority and license plate reader data. In addition, surveillance footage from a location where the defendants were residing helped to confirm the defendant's identities and their participation in the robberies.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.

A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.