Second Man Pleads Guilty, Two Others Charged in Robbery of a Montgomery Business

MONTGOMERY, AL - Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a second man has pleaded guilty, and two additional men have been charged, in connection with the March 10, 2025, robbery of a Montgomery dry cleaning business.

On September 10, 2025, Spencer Thomas, 67, of Prattville, Alabama, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, a crime that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Previously, Zedekiah Sykes, 58, of Montgomery, Alabama, entered a guilty plea to the same charge. Sentencing hearings for both men will be scheduled in the coming months.

In addition, 51-year-old Spirit Hooks and 55-year-old Clinton Thompson, both of Birmingham, Alabama, have been charged as the third and fourth alleged accomplices in the robbery. 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 court records, on March 10, 2025, Sykes, Thomas, Hooks, and Thompson forced their way into the business, located on East South Street in Montgomery, by shattering the front door with a rock. Once inside, the men confronted the business owner and forced him into an office where a locked safe was located. One of the intruders displayed what appeared to be a handgun, later determined to be a BB gun, and demanded that the victim open the safe.

When the owner struggled to recall the combination, one of the robbers struck him in the left eye, causing visible bruising and swelling. The group ultimately accessed the safe and stole approximately $8,000 in cash. Before fleeing, they zip-tied the victim's hands and feet and took his cell phone and car keys. The assailants then used the stolen keys to drive away in the victim's vehicle.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Montgomery Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Task Force investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul Markovits.

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).