A Florida man who once ran for mayor of Tallahassee has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison following a violent robbery of a Dollar General store in 2024.
Whitfield Leland III, 45, received the sentence after being convicted of Hobbs Act Robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin announced the sentencing Friday, emphasizing the commitment to holding violent offenders accountable.
“Thanks to the excellent work of our law enforcement partners, this career criminal will no longer be able to victimize and terrorize our community,” Heekin said. “My office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting violent criminals to keep our communities safe.”
According to court records, Leland entered a Tallahassee Dollar General on May 20, 2024, pointed a gun at the store manager, and demanded access to the store’s safes. A customer who witnessed the robbery called 911. Tallahassee police arrived within minutes and surrounded the building.
Leland attempted to escape by stealing the store manager’s uniform shirt and exiting the building disguised as an employee. He ignored officers’ commands to stop and fled on foot, but police tracked a trail of dropped cash to a bush where Leland was hiding. He was still wearing the stolen shirt and had more cash stuffed into his pants. Officers recovered $689 from the robbery.
Leland, who has 13 prior felony convictions, was classified as an Armed Career Criminal due to previous convictions including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two separate incidents of resisting arrest with violence. He previously ran for Tallahassee mayor in 2022.
In addition to the 22-year prison sentence, Leland was ordered to serve five years of supervised release and pay restitution.
Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell praised the outcome, saying, “Thanks to the quick actions of our officers and strong collaboration with our federal partners, a repeat violent offender is off the streets. This outcome reflects our continued commitment to protecting Tallahassee’s residents and businesses from harm.”
The case was investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. McCain.
