Two residents of Donna, Texas, have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in armed robberies at two smoke shops. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the convictions of Robert Jae Franco, 23, and Alejandro Isaiah Gonzalez, 22. Both men pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery on October 18 and November 8, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton sentenced Franco and Gonzalez to 48 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. During sentencing, it was revealed that Franco had previous convictions for aggravated assault and alien smuggling, while Gonzalez had been convicted for three separate burglaries.
"The Southern District of Texas is working around-the-clock to take repeat violent offenders off the streets," stated Ganjei. "Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, we now have two less criminals out there terrorizing innocent citizens."
The robberies took place on January 27, 2024, when Franco and Gonzalez targeted smoke shops in Pharr and Donna at gunpoint. Surveillance footage showed them entering the stores masked and armed, demanding money from employees.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led the investigation with police departments from Pharr, Donna, and McAllen as part of Operation: Knock Down. This initiative began in 2020 as a joint effort between ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to support local prosecutions of armed felons.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Guerra Jr. handled the prosecution.