U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Scott Carpenter, Jr. of Lakeland to 28 years in federal prison for robbery and brandishing a firearm during violent crimes. Carpenter, 46, pleaded guilty on November 14, 2023.
Carpenter was found guilty of committing 13 armed robberies between August 2018 and August 2021 in various locations including Lakeland, Auburndale, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Brandon, Zephyrhills, Gibsonton, and Temple Terrace. The majority of these robberies targeted Dollar Tree stores following a consistent pattern.
In each instance, Carpenter, dressed in black, waited until the Dollar Tree store closed for the night. He then accosted store employees as they carried the day’s earnings to their cars or prepared to deposit them at nearby banks. He brandished a firearm, threatened the employees, and demanded money. Law enforcement discovered firearms and clothing used in the robberies during searches of Carpenter’s home and truck.
As part of his sentence, Carpenter is required to forfeit three firearms and ammunition linked to his crimes and pay $22,220.52 in restitution to his victims.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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