SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — A Savannah man is facing life in prison after pleading guilty to a day-long armed robbery spree.

Anthony Franzel Hamilton, 60, of Savannah, pled guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Hamilton admitted to robbing six convenience stores in 18 hours.

The charges carry up to life in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and up to five years of supervised release.

“For 18 hours in a single day, Anthony Hamilton terrorized store employees so he could steal money,” said U.S. Attorney Estes. “Our law enforcement partners did outstanding work in bringing his rampage to a halt, and he now will be held accountable for his violent crimes.”

As described in court documents and testimony, Hamilton was armed with a semiautomatic pistol when he robbed the Savannah Mart on East DeRenne Avenue shortly after midnight on Nov. 22, 2020. For the next 18 hours, Hamilton robbed four more Savannah convenience stores, and attempted to rob another while brandishing the firearm. In at least one instance, Hamilton threatened to shoot a store employee.

Savannah Police officers located Hamilton shortly after and took him into custody without incident, finding the pistol under the seat of the car.

“Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners at the Savannah Police Department and the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, Anthony Hamilton’s crime spree was brought to an end,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “His reckless disregard for the safety of the store employees and public easily could have turned into a tragedy. Fortunately, he is no longer a threat.”

Sentencing will be scheduled upon completion of an investigation by U.S. Probation Services.