A Jacksonville man robbed two restaurants and discharged a sawed-off rifle during the crime.
35-year-old Eugene Campbell IV, of Jacksonville, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with two Jacksonville restaurant robberies. Campbell faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to two life terms plus 20 years, in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, on August 4, 2025, Campbell entered a pizza restaurant in Jacksonville, discharged a sawed-off rifle into the ceiling, and demanded money from the employees at gunpoint. He escaped with approximately $500.
The next day, Campbell entered another pizza restaurant in Jacksonville, discharged his firearm into the wall, demanded money from the employees at gunpoint, and escaped with approximately $700.
Law enforcement conducted ballistics analyses of the shell casings recovered at both scenes, which showed that the rounds had been fired from the same gun that had also been used during another incident in St. Johns County.
Investigators connected the robberies to Campbell by interviewing Campbell’s associates and reviewing surveillance footage obtained from the victims and neighboring businesses. Officers from Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested Campbell on August 6, 2025, he subsequently admitted to the robberies.
This North Florida case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement that the defendant pleaded guilty.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
