Five Individuals Who Drove Across the State to Commit Armed Robbery, and Who Shot Employee in the Face, Sentenced to Federal Prison

Tampa, Florida – Cocoa Beach residents Courtenay Smith (36), Phillip Johnson (22), Sema-J De-Andre Brothers (23), Na’Quezz Mack (23), and Derrick Worthington (43) have all been sentenced to federal prison terms by U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti for their roles in an Ybor City robbery. United States Attorney Gregory Kehoe made the announcement. 

Smith was sentenced to 18 years and 4 months in federal prison, Johnson was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, Brothers and Mack were each sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison, and Worthington was sentenced to 13 years and 10 months. 

According to evidence presented at sentencing, Johnson, Brothers, Mack, and Worthington traveled from Brevard County to Tampa to carry out an armed robbery. The group traveled in two vehicles and parked in a lot of a restaurant in Ybor City before putting their plan into action.

In the early morning hours of February 1, 2025, the four men targeted a nightclub near Ybor City. Before entering the club, they concealed their license plates from surveillance cameras. They then conducted surveillance on the business and waited outside for the crowd to thin, believing fewer people would witness the robbery. Johnson, Brothers, and Mack entered the nightclub while Worthington remained outside as a lookout. The three men who entered wore dark clothing, hooded sweatshirts, masks, and gloves to conceal their identities. Johnson was armed with a rifle, while Brothers and Mack each carried a handgun.

Once inside, the men immediately took control of the business through violence and intimidation. They ordered the bartenders to hand over cash, purses, and cellphones before moving toward the rear of the business in search of additional money. There, they encountered the nightclub’s manager. Before the manager had an opportunity to react or defend himself, Johnson raised his rifle and shot him in the face.

The men then stole the nightclub’s cash proceeds, which was covered in the victim’s blood, and fled. They returned to their vehicles and drove back to Brevard County.

Smith did not travel to Tampa with the other four individuals, but he played an active role in planning, preparing and supplying items used during the robbery. Evidence showed that all five men had planned the robbery together at Smith’s home in Brevard County before the four traveled to Tampa. After the robbery, the men returned to Smith’s residence to divide the stolen proceeds.

Detectives from the Tampa Police Department and FBI agents immediately began investigating the robbery and identifying the suspects. Evidence showed that members of the conspiracy expressed their belief that they had “killed someone.” They also expressed confidence that law enforcement would never identify them because they were all from Cocoa Beach, approximately 100 miles from the crime scene.

The men then attempted to destroy evidence and conceal their involvement. They discarded items used during the robbery, including throwing cellphones over a bridge, burning their clothing, and using bleach to clean the victim’s blood from their vehicles.

Johnson’s bullet entered the left side of the victim’s face, shattered his nose, and exited near his right eye. The victim ultimately lost his eye entirely.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with essential assistance provided by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Cocoa Police Department, and the State Attorney’s Office for the 13^th Judicial Circuit in Tampa. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Lindsey Schmidt.