- Denzel Dyshaun Flagg pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery for his role as a getaway driver in a Gainesville convenience store robbery on Feb 18, 2025.
- Flagg faces up to 20 years in prison with sentencing set for Nov. 3, at the Gainesville U.S. Courthouse before Chief Judge Allen C. Winsor.
A 27-year-old Gainesville man has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Hobbs Act robbery in connection with the February 2025 robbery of a local convenience store.
According to a Northern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office press release sent on Friday, Denzel Dyshaun Flagg’s guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin.
According to court documents, Flagg participated in the robbery of the Eastside Food Store in Gainesville on Feb. 18, 2025. During the robbery, two other individuals wearing ski masks entered the store, and one pointed a gun directly at the store clerk’s face before stealing cash from the register. Flagg acted as the getaway driver, court documents state.
Flagg faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026, at the U.S. Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief U.S. District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
“This successful prosecution was made possible by the excellent investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, who tracked down this defendant so we could hold him accountable for his role in this violent crime,” Heekin said in the release. “We owe it to our citizens to protect them from the predations of violent criminals and to seek maximum punishment to hold those offenders accountable and deter future crime.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office jointly investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain are prosecuting the case.