Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest and filing of a complaint charging Michael Nelson Snyder (28, Tampa) with using a firearm during and in relation to the armed robbery of a jewelry store. If convicted, Snyder faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, Snyder committed armed robberies of two jewelry stores, a Zales in Hillsborough County on December 31, 2019, and a Helzberg Diamonds in Pasco County on January 19, 2020. During each of the robberies, Snyder stole more than $100,000 in jewelry.

On the evening January 27, 2020, during the execution of a search warrant on Snyder’s home and car, federal agents and deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office recovered a firearm and clothing that matched the clothing worn during the robberies. Pursuant to another warrant, law enforcement officers obtained Snyder’s fingerprints, which matched a print recovered following the Zales robbery. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory T. Nolan. It is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation 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 being brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.