A Lakeland couple has been arrested and charged in connection with a series of armed robberies in the Tampa area. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced that Andres Correa, 39, and Cassandra Kerr, 46, face federal charges under the Hobbs Act for their alleged involvement in several robberies that occurred in August 2025.
According to criminal complaints filed by authorities, Correa is accused of committing multiple armed robberies during the month. Kerr is alleged to have assisted him as a lookout during two of the incidents on August 5 and August 7. If convicted, both could receive up to 20 years in federal prison for each charge.
On August 5, investigators say Correa and Kerr targeted a gas station in Tampa. Correa reportedly brandished a pistol and demanded money from employees, pressing the firearm into one victim’s stomach before receiving cash from the business. Kerr remained outside in her vehicle acting as a lookout.
Two days later, on August 7, Correa allegedly robbed a food mart in Tampa while again armed with a pistol. He is accused of holding a store clerk at gunpoint until money was handed over from the register. Kerr once more acted as his lookout during this robbery.
The complaints also detail an incident on August 19 at a smoke shop in Seffner. In this case, Correa is said to have drawn a pistol from his chest area and forced a customer toward the counter before pointing the weapon at the back of the victim’s head and neck while demanding cash from another clerk.
Law enforcement executed search warrants at two residences on August 26. Officers reportedly found clothing matching surveillance footage from the robberies, a firearm similar to that used during the crimes, a stomach holster, and a ledger containing lists of banks and smoke shops along with directions.
The arrests resulted from collaboration between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
“A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty,” according to officials.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protecting communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts involving Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
