Feds say man got more than $300,000 in bling from Zales, Helzberg robberies

TAMPA — Federal law enforcement officials believe one man committed two separate jewelry store robberies in the last month in Tampa and Wesley Chapel and made off with more than $300,000 in bling.Now, the man they say is responsible faces imminent federal criminal charges.Michael Nelson Snyder, 28, was arrested Saturday at his home in the New Tampa area after federal investigators linked him to the brazen morning robberies of a Zales store at University Mall and a Helzberg Diamonds store at Tampa Premium Outlets.Surveillance images of the gun-toting mystery man that were publicized by local news outlets generated tips that led investigators to Snyder.The first robbery happened New Year’s Eve morning at Zales. Surveillance video showed a man with a white hoodie pulled tightly over his head and a backpack over both shoulders. He walked into the store at about 10:40 a.m., moved briskly through the aisles between jewelry display cases, then raised a handgun toward two employees.The man directed one employee to lie on the ground and told the other to load the backpack with jewelry. In less than a minute, he dashed out of the store with the bag, which held more than $100,000 in men’s rings.The video showed him touching one of the counter tops with his bare hands, according to a federal criminal complaint. Crime scene technicians were able to identify fingerprints in that area. They ran them through an FBI fingerprint database but found no matches.Almost three weeks later, on Jan. 19, the same man robbed the Helzberg Diamonds store in Wesley Chapel, the complaint states.This time, he wore a black hooded sweatshirt as he again brandished a black handgun and directed employees to fill a backpack.He got away with more than $275,000 in jewelry, according to the complaint. He fled in a newer model Cadillac XTS. Video showed the car appeared to have a decorative Florida State University plate covering its rear license tag.An employee at another Zales store in Wesley Chapel saw the news coverage, the complaint states. Just two days after the second robbery, the employee phoned the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to say that the man looked like someone who had visited the store in the Shops at Wiregrass earlier that day.The man was described as having a similar stature as the man seen in the robbery videos. He spoke with the employee, saying he was looking for a diamond ring for his girlfriend, according to the complaint. He also asked if they sold Rolex watches. When told the store did not, he replied, “that’s too bad."Investigators pulled security videos which showed the man leaving the store and later getting into a white SUV. They zoomed in on a partial license tag. A check of the tag revealed a BMW SUV registered to a woman who was later identified as Snyder’s sister.An agent with the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives wrote in the complaint that Snyder apparently used the SUV to case future robbery locations. Investigators began watching his home Jan. 24 in the New Tampa area. The SUV was parked there. At one point, they saw him get into it and drive off.They later executed a search warrant for the SUV. They found a black handgun in the glove box, according to the complaint.They also search Snyder’s home. They found clothing that appeared similar to what the man was seen wearing in both robberies, the complaint states.Police took Snyder’s fingerprints. They matched the prints that were collected from the Zales counter, investigators said.Snyder was jailed Saturday on a warrant for armed robbery.A jail booking page notes Snyder works as an Uber driver. He has no significant criminal history in the Tampa Bay area. He remained jailed Thursday without bail.

Feds say man got more than $300,000 in bling from Zales, Helzberg robberies

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