Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

A Miami-Dade County resident pled guilty, on February 28, 2017, to committing six armed commercial robberies throughout Pinecrest, South Miami, and Coral Gables.

Benjamin G. Greenberg, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade State Attorney; Peter Forcelli, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division; Juan Perez, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Daniel Oates, Chief, Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD); Rene Landa, Chief, South Miami Police Department; Edward Hudak Jr., Chief, Coral Gables Police Department; Samuel Ceballos, Jr., Chief, Pinecrest Police Department; and Rodolfo Llanes, Chief, City of Miami Police Department (MPD), made the announcement.

Zeddrick Smith, 46, pled guilty to all six robbery counts that were charged in the indictment, in addition to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and a single count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Smith faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Court Chief Judge K. Michael Moore on May 11, 2017.

According to the court record, including the agreed upon factual proffer, defendant Smith committed six armed robberies of commercial establishments. On November 24, 2016, November 27, 2016, November 29, 2016, December 6, 2016, December 8, 2016, and December 11, 2016, Smith robbed various victims at gunpoint at restaurants and food stores in South Florida. Pursuant to the investigation, officers recovered the loaded firearm that had been used in the robberies, in Smith’s vehicle. At the time of the robberies, Smith was a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Mr. Greenberg commends the investigative efforts of ATF, MDPD, Miami Beach Police Department, South Miami Police Department, Coral Gables Police Department, Pinecrest Police Department, and MPD in relation to this case. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marianne Curtis from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney?s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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