U.S. Attorney and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Jointly Announce Indictment of Three People for Series of Armed Robberies

An indictment was filed in U.S. District Court today against Tony A. Bankhead, II, age 25, of Solon, Ohio, and Keith J. Freeman, age 22, and Brittney E. Burks, age 22, both of Toledo, Ohio, charging them with conspiracy, robbery affecting interstate commerce, and using firearms to commit crimes of violence, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason announced today.

The charges stem from a series of four robberies in May and June in Solon, Bedford, and Cleveland, Ohio.

“This indictment shows our office and law enforcement throughout the region are working together to connect the dots when it comes to crime patterns that don’t always fit into neat city boundaries,” Dettelbach said. “This is a violent robbery ring that traveled throughout the state. By tying these cases together, we’re able to bring them to the court that could give the most appropriate penalty.”

The indictment results from an investigation conducted by the Cleveland Cuyahoga Violent Crimes Task Force, in coordination with officers from the Bedford Police Department, Solon Police Department, and Cleveland Police Department. The Cleveland Cuyahoga Violent Crimes Task Force targets violent crime through a partnership of the United States Attorney’s Office, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department, Cleveland Police Department, Adult Parole Authority, and other state and local agencies.

Prosecutor Mason said: “The charges represent the coordinated approach of this multi-agency task force to investigate and prosecute our most violent criminals.”

Mason’s office has agreed to cross-designate an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor who will handle this specific case in federal court with an assistant U.S. attorney .

Bankhead, Freeman and Burks are accused of committing a series of armed robberies at three restaurants and one store this spring: the Cleveland Jewelry Exchange in Bedford; the Donato’s Pizzeria in Solon; the Blue Fig restaurant in Solon and a KFC in Cleveland.

The case was presented for indictment by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew W. Shepherd.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.