A Wisconsin man has been sentenced to consecutive life sentences after being convicted of a 2018 double homicide and armed robbery of a Florida couple.
Alex Jared Zweifelhofer, 27, was convicted of conspiracy to robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime, robbery interfering with commerce, discharging a firearm during a crime that resulted in death, conspiracy to kill persons in a foreign country and a violation of the Neutrality Act.
Zweifelhofer has reportedly also been ordered to pay $10,886 in restitution to the family members of the victims.
Zweifelhofer was found guilty by a jury on March 8, 2024.
According to testimony presented at trial, on April 10, 2018, a couple was found dead in Estero from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body.
Further investigations revealed that the couple had traveled to Estero from Brooksville to purchase several guns from an individual who listed them for sale on a website known as Armslist.
Investigations revealed that Zweiefelhofer was identified as one of two individuals who was believed to have murdered the couple during an armed robbery of the $3,000 the couple planned to use to purchase the guns.
Zweifelhofer, who had reportedly fought in Ukraine in 2017 after going AWOL from the U.S. Army, pursued a plan to fight the Venezuelan government and committed the robbery so he could fund his trip.
Zweifelhofer's co-defendant, Craig Lang, is pending trial.
“There’s no question that Zwiefelhofer belongs behind bars, and his life sentence guarantees that will happen. When it comes to tackling the violent crime threat, our model is to work together with our state and local law enforcement partners to maximize impact and this case highlights those efforts with the Lee County Sheriff's Office,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor, FBI Tampa Division. “We will stop at nothing to protect our communities from these threats.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lee County Sheriff's Office.