A 24-year-old Plant City man has been sentenced to 11 years and nine months in federal prison for an armed robbery he committed in 2013.
Reginald Lynn Gaines was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington for robbing a Dade City convenience store and using a firearm during that robbery. The court also ordered Gaines to pay $1,000 in restitution, which was the amount taken during the robbery.
Gaines pleaded guilty on Sept. 2, 2014.
On Nov. 4, 2013, Gaines and others entered the Food Mart on Lock Street in Dade City carrying firearms, according to testimony and court documents. Gaines was armed with a shotgun, while the others had handguns. When they demanded money, the store clerk did not immediately open the register. Gaines then struck the clerk with the butt of his shotgun.
He fled and was found at a home in the 3600 block of Jefferson Avenue. Gaines held a man by the throat, gaining entry into the home. The man was able to get away, while Gaines hid in the bathroom before being arrested.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the Dade City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam M. Saltzman.
