Two Defendants Charged With Committing Serial Armed Robberies Throughout Florida

Miami, Florida – Two Louisiana residents, Jeremy Steven Coleman, 43, and Jennifer Lynn Freeman, 35, appeared in federal court on charges that they participated in a string of armed robberies throughout Florida. 

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Alfredo Ramirez III, Director, Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) made the announcement. 

According to the criminal complaint, between June 3 through June 5, 2020, Coleman and Freeman committed five of the armed robberies at gas stations and convenience stores in South Florida.

On June 3, law enforcement responded to an armed robbery at a Shell Gas Station located at 18600 South Dixie Highway, Miami, Florida. A white male in his 30s-40s, allegedly entered the gas station and pointed what appeared to be a black pistol at the victims.  The robber allegedly left with about $600.

On June 4, law enforcement responded to an armed robbery at a 7-Eleven store located at 9500 NW 7th Ave, Miami, Florida. In that robbery, a white male, matching the description of the man from the robbery of the day before, allegedly entered the 7-Eleven and walked behind the counter where the two victims were standing. The robber allegedly pointed an unknown type of rifle at the victims and left the store with $200. 

On June 5, law enforcement responded to three more armed robberies. In all three, the robber matched the description of the person who had committed the robberies on June 3 and 4. One robbery occurred at a 7-Eleven store, located at 533 NW 103rd Street, Miami, Florida. The robber allegedly brandished what appeared to be a black pistol at the victims in the store and stole about $200. The second robbery that day occurred at a Chevron gas station at 17800 Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles, Florida. The robber allegedly pushed a black gun into the victim’s side, demanded that the victim open the cash register, and left the gas station with out $600.   The third robbery on June 5 occurred at a Shell Gas Station, located at 13701 SW 26th St., Miami, Florida. The robber allegedly entered the gas station and approached the victim armed with what appeared to be a black pistol and pointed the firearm at the victim’s head. The robber stole about $400.

Investigation led law enforcement to a room in a South Florida hotel that appeared to be occupied by Coleman and Freeman.  Officers executed a federal search warrant inside the hotel room. They found clothes that matched clothes worn by the robbers, as seen in  surveillance video. Law enforcement also found what appeared to be bb-gun replicas of semi-automatic firearms, including a black replica Beretta firearm, a black replica Glock firearm, a black replica Sig Sauer firearm, and two replica .357 caliber revolvers.

The defendants had their initial appearances in federal court.  Coleman was detained without  bond pending trial.  Freeman’s detention hearing is scheduled for Friday, June 12, before a federal magistrate judge.

U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, including FBI’s South Florida Violent Crime Task Force, and the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Robbery Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cary O. Aronovitz and Maria Catala are prosecuting this case.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing to address when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see www.justice.gov/projectguardian.