TAMPA — A federal judge sentenced four Tampa men to lengthy prison terms for the armed robberies of two convenience stores, with the longest sentence exceeding 20 years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced.
U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sentenced Tra-Vontae Watson, 32, to 20 years and 5 months in prison — the stiffest penalty among the four defendants. Ronald Brown, 25, received 15 years; Jermaine Dawes, 33, received 14 years and 10 months; and E’barous Harris, 27, received 14 years and 7 months. Each had previously pleaded guilty. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the sentences.
According to court documents, the four men conspired in July 2024 to rob two Tampa convenience stores. Harris, Watson and Brown entered the stores while Dawes served as the lookout and getaway driver. Watson and Brown carried firearms, which they used to steal cash from both locations.
Law enforcement ultimately tracked the robbers to a Tampa motel. Surveillance footage from the motel showed the four men getting in and out of the vehicle used in the robberies, and a rifle could be seen being loaded into the vehicle. Search warrants executed on multiple motel rooms associated with the defendants turned up a rifle consistent with the one seen on video and used in the robberies.
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 United States Attorney Samantha Newman prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating violent crime, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and repelling illegal immigration. The initiative marshals the full resources of the department to protect communities from violent crime perpetrators.