Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Joseph Deleon (29, Mount Dora) guilty of robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Deleon faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. He was indicted on July 11, 2018.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, shortly after midnight on March 15, 2018, in St. Petersburg, Deleon pointed a gun at a cashier at a 7–11 store and demanded the contents from his register. After obtaining approximately $100 and several packages of stamps, Deleon fled the scene.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory T. Nolan.

 

This case was 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 October 2017, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to develop districtwide crime reduction strategies, incorporating the lessons learned since the program’s inception in 2001. 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.