Kevin P. Davidson, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama
Zedekiah Sykes, a 58-year-old resident of Montgomery, Alabama, has admitted guilt in federal court for his involvement in the robbery of a dry cleaning business on March 10, 2025. Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced that Sykes entered his guilty plea on July 3, 2025.
Court documents and Sykes's plea agreement reveal that he and three accomplices forcibly entered the business located on East South Street by breaking the front door with a rock. Inside, they confronted the owner and coerced him into an office containing a locked safe. One individual 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, one assailant struck him in the left eye, resulting in visible bruising and swelling. The group eventually accessed the safe and stole around $8,000.
The robbers then restrained the owner using zip ties and took his cell phone and car keys before fleeing in his vehicle. Sykes pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled soon.
In related news, Spencer Thomas from Prattville, Alabama was arrested on May 27, 2025, for alleged involvement in this robbery. An indictment serves as an allegation of crime commission; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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 Task Force (MACS), 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 by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators through resources like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).