Kevin P. Davidson, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama
A second individual has pleaded guilty and two more have been charged in connection with the March 10, 2025, robbery of a dry cleaning business in Montgomery, Alabama. Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced that Spencer Thomas, 67, of Prattville, entered a guilty plea to one count of Hobbs Act robbery on September 10. The offense carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Zedekiah Sykes, 58, of Montgomery, had previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. Sentencing for both men will be scheduled at a later date.
Authorities have also charged Spirit Hooks, 51, and Clinton Thompson, 55—both from Birmingham—as alleged accomplices in the case. "An indictment or criminal complaint is merely a formal accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Court records indicate that on March 10, Sykes, Thomas, Hooks, and Thompson broke into the East South Street business by smashing its front door with a rock. Once inside, they confronted the owner and forced him into an office containing a locked safe. One intruder displayed what appeared to be a handgun—which was later identified as a BB gun—and demanded access to the safe.
When the owner could not recall the combination immediately, he was struck in the left eye by one of the robbers and sustained visible injuries. The group eventually accessed about $8,000 from the safe before zip-tying the victim’s hands and feet and taking his cell phone and car keys. They then fled using his vehicle.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Montgomery Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Task Force, and support from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits is prosecuting.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
