Man charged with armed robbery after allegedly taking $100 from man who offered him a cigarette

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Albert Eugene Colbert, 56, was arrested late last night and charged with armed robbery after allegedly taking $100 from a man who offered him a cigarette and then saying there was “going to be a homicide” if the victim kept following him to get the money back.

At about 10:40 p.m., Colbert and another man reportedly approached the victim in the 300 block of W. University Avenue and asked him for a cigarette. The victim told a Gainesville Police Department officer that he believed the two men were homeless, so he gave Colbert a cigarette; he said he thought they would probably also ask for money, so he pulled some cash from his pocket. The cash included some dollar bills and a $100 bill, and Colbert allegedly grabbed the money and started walking away.

The victim said he followed Colbert, trying to get his money back, and Colbert turned around in the 400 block of W. University Avenue and said, “Keep following me, and there is going to be a homicide.” The victim said Colbert had his hand inside a backpack at the time, and he was afraid that Colbert was pointing a gun at him. The victim stopped following Colbert and called 911.

Officers found Colbert in the 700 block of W. University Avenue, and the victim positively identified him.

Post Miranda, Colbert reportedly said that the victim asked him for change for a $100 bill and that he gave him five $20 bills; he also claimed that the victim asked him if he had any drugs to sell, but the victim denied asking Colbert about drugs.

A search of Colbert reportedly produced a single $100 bill and some change; a gun was not found.

Based on Colbert’s claim that he had given the victim five $20 bills, the victim reportedly consented to a search, which produced no $20 bills.

The man who had been with Colbert when he initially approached the victim reportedly said he did not see the interaction and did not know what happened.

Colbert has no local criminal history; bail information is unavailable on weekends.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.