ACTION 8 UPDATE: Second arrest made in robbery of Montgomery businessman Jim Massey

Jim Massey’s Cleaners location on South Street in Montgomery, where the March 10 robbery and assault of owner Jim Massey took place. – Photo from WAKA Action 8 News

ACTION 8 UPDATE: A second arrest has been made in the robbery of Jim Massey, the well-known owner of the Montgomery-based Jim Massey dry cleaning chain of stores.

Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson says 57-year-old Spencer Thomas of Prattville faces federal charges of armed robbery and carjacking. Davidson says Thomas was arrested on May 27 after he was found in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As Action 8 News has reported, 58-year-old Zadekiah Sykes has already been charged with armed robbery and carjacking.

At around 6PM on March 10, Massey was alone in his office on South Street downtown when he told Action 8 News in a very detailed interview that four masked men tied him up and assaulted him before robbing him at gunpoint.

The suspects were wearing hard hats and reflective construction vests, Massey said. The men forced him to unlock the safe. They emptied it, zip-tied his feet in addition to his already zip-tied hands, and took his car keys before fleeing the scene.

Massey’s car was found abandoned three blocks from his office several hours after the robbery.

Thomas is scheduled to be arraigned in Montgomery on June 17. Sykes’ trial is set for August 11, 2025.

Court records say Sykes was the leader and the robbery had been planned for months. Records say the suspects wore clothing to make it appear they worked for Alabama Power.

A total of between $6,000 to $8,000 was stolen during the robbery.

Massey owns dry cleaning locations throughout the area. The family-owned business has been in operation since 1941 and employs about 85 people.

If convicted on all charges, Thomas and Sykes each face up to 25 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

The search continues for the other two suspects.

The arrests follow a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Montgomery Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Unit, with assistance from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.