Orlando Man Sentenced To 18 Years In Federal Prison For String Of Armed Robberies

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Dany Telfort (20, Orlando) to 18 years in federal prison for two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Telfort to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offenses. Telfort pleaded guilty on October 31, 2024.

According to the plea agreement, between March 23 and April 1, 2023, Telfort and his co-defendant, Nijah Jahni Mitchell, participated in a string of nine armed robberies of various convenience stores throughout Central Florida. During some of the robberies, Telfort entered the store, pointed a firearm at the store clerks, and demanded the money from the cash registers. During others, Telfort acted as the getaway driver. 

Mitchell is currently pending trial. An indictment 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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Clermont Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oakland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.