Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Johnny Flores (43, Tampa) with three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm. If convicted, Flores faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each of the robbery counts, and a minimum mandatory term of seven years, up to life, imprisonment for each of the firearm offenses.

According to the indictment, between February 13 and 25, 2022, Flores entered three commercial establishments in Tampa and robbed store employees at gunpoint.

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 was investigated by the Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery Technical Apprehension (SPARTA) unit of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.