Fort Lauderdale Armed Robbery Defense Lawyer

An attempted armed robbery last week turned into an arrest when four Indiana men who were here for spring break physically confronted their robbers. While gassing up a Volkswagen at about 3:35 a.m. in Oakland Park, two of the men were outside of the car when another car pulled in a few pumps away. A man with a 9 mm handgun in his hand got out of the second car and allegedly said “Give me everything you got.” A scuffle ensued, and the man wielding the gun was forced to the ground where he was repeatedly punched from behind by one of the victims. When the gun was wrested from one of the robbers, each had only one arm to use. They were both using their other arm to hold their pants up. They retreated to their car and drove away.

The victims were able to identify the robbers’ car. They also got a plate number. That led to a local 33-year-old man who was taken into custody and charged with armed robbery, giving false information to law enforcement and resisting arrest without violence. His bond was set at $10,100. He reportedly admitted being the driver of the second car, but he claimed that he didn’t know that his passenger was armed or planned on committing a robbery.

As per Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyer Kenneth Hassett, Florida Statute 812.13(1)-(2)(a) controls the crime of robbery with a firearm in the state. The crime is committed when a person “intentionally and unlawfully takes money or property from another person through the use of force, violence, assault or threat while in possession of a firearm.” The firearm need not be actually used during a robbery. It’s sufficient to sustain a conviction if a firearm was in the possession of the defendant during the commission of the offense. A person who is convicted of robbery with a firearm is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison if he or she was in possession of a firearm at the time of the commission of the crime.

Fort Lauderdale Criminal Defense Lawyer

If you or somebody close to you has been charged with armed robbery in or around Fort Lauderdale, contact Fort Lauderdale armed robbery defense lawyer Kenneth Hassett at Hassett & Associates right away at (954) 791-3939. Never give police a statement or confession. Exercise your right to an attorney, and call Kenneth Hassett immediately.