ORLANDO, Fla.- Two Orlando men pleaded guilty last week to a series of armed robberies.
The robberies took place over two years ago at Publix stores terrifying customers in Orange and Volusia counties.
According to federal records, Cecil Dante Buckner, 36, and Jarmen Lindell Sharp, 34, are accused of holding up three stores during February and March 2014. They were arrested in May 2014 following the crimes.
A third unknown man was involved in the crime spree, but has not been captured. The pair would carefully pick and watch the stores on Aloma Avenue and Winter Park, on West Sand Lake Road in Orlando and on Woodland Avenue in DeLand.
Authorities say the men have also been accused of watching a handful of other stores throughout the two counties. They would monitor how and where the employees moved cash at closing time.
The robberies were carefully planned out after the men picked a store. One man acted as a lookout for law enforcement while the other two, wearing masks and carrying guns, walked inside the stores around 10 p.m., according to the court records.
Once inside the men would point their guns at customers while an employee filled a bag with cash in the back room.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the three men made a total of more than $24,000 from robbing those three stores.
The pair were identified by investigators in another robbery on May 4. Buckner and another unknown man robbed a Publix in Hillsborough County, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office. During this robbery Buckner held his gun towards customers while the unknown man collected $18,000 from an employee.
Sharp was arrested by agents three weeks following the Hillsborough Publix robbery.
Sharp and Buckner accepted deals to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and interference with interstate commerce by robbery. Buckner also pleaded guilty to charges of brandishing a firearm during the robberies.
Buckner faces up to 32 years in federal prison and Sharp faces up to 20 years.
