Zedekiah Sykes, a 58-year-old resident of Montgomery, Alabama, has admitted guilt in connection with the robbery of a dry cleaning business in Montgomery. Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced that Sykes entered his guilty plea on July 3, 2025, in federal court.
Court records and Sykes’s plea agreement reveal that on March 10, 2025, Sykes and three accomplices broke into the business located on East South Street by smashing the front door with a rock. Inside, they confronted the owner and forced him into an office containing a locked safe. One assailant wielded what appeared to be a handgun—later identified as a BB gun—and demanded access to the safe. When the owner hesitated due to difficulty recalling the combination, he was struck in the left eye by one of the robbers. The group accessed the safe and stole around $8,000.
The robbers restrained the owner using zip ties and took his cell phone and car keys before fleeing in his vehicle. Sykes has pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled soon.
Spencer Thomas, aged 57 from Prattville, Alabama, was arrested on May 27, 2025, for his alleged involvement in this robbery. An indictment against him is not proof of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Montgomery Police Department (MPD), Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Task Force with support from Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
