Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Hotel with a Firearm

Jacksonville, Florida - Denzel Demoree'a Prince (28, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with a Jacksonville hotel robbery. Prince faces a minimum penalty of 7 years, up to life plus 20 years, in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, on September 8, 2025, Prince approached a vending machine near the pool at a hotel in Jacksonville. He then walked to the front window that led to the front desk area to speak with an employee at the hotel to request money back from the vending machine. The employee told Prince that he would need to come back in the morning. A few minutes later, Prince knocked on the back window of the front desk area. The employee saw that Prince was wearing the same clothing that he had on moments before, but this time he had a green/camouflage style mask pulled up to his nose in an attempt to conceal his identity. He was also in possession of a firearm.

Surveillance video from inside the hotel showed Prince pointing the firearm at the employee before throwing a brick through the window. Prince then climbed through the window, walked behind the front desk counter and opened several drawers before locating the cash register. Prince pulled cash from the register before running out of the rear door.

During the investigation, officers identified Prince and obtained a search warrant for his residence. Inside Prince's home, officers located clothing that matched the description of the robber, including white pants, white shoes, green shorts, and a camouflage bandana.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.