A 29-year-old Tampa man has been indicted for a gas station robbery where he arrived on a bicycle, entered the business, pointed a gun at the clerk, and demanded money.
United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg recently announced the return of an indictment charging Brandale Swails, of Tampa, with Hobbs Act robbery and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted on both counts, Swails faces a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on October 15, 2023, Swails arrived at a Tampa gas station on a bicycle, entered the business, pointed a gun at the clerk, and demanded money. The clerk immediately hid behind the counter, and Swails jumped over the counter. Swails stated he would shoot the victim if he did not open the register and demanded one-hundred-dollar bills. Swails continued to hold the victim at gunpoint while directing the victim into a bathroom. Swails then exited the business with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled on a bicycle. Swails was arrested two weeks later, hiding inside a bedroom closet.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes. An indictment 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, 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.
