Philadelphia Man Accused of Four Gunpoint Robberies
| U.S. Attorney’s Office June 10, 2010 |
An Indictment was filed today charging defendant Brandon Brunson with four counts of robbery which interfered with interstate commerce, and four counts of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The indictment specifically charges that the defendant Brandon Brunson committed a gunpoint robbery of Kang’s Mini Market, located at 5101 Wayne Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 5, 2010. The indictment further charges Brunson with committing three gunpoint robberies of Ed’s Pizza House, located at 5022 Wayne Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 21, 2010, February 22, 2010, and on February 23, 2010. Brunson is also charged with using and carrying a firearm during each of the robberies charged in the indictment.
INFORMATION REGARDING THE DEFENDANT
NAME: Brandon Brunson
ADDRESS: Philadelphia
AGE: 22
If convicted of all counts, Brunson faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with a mandatory 82 year minimum sentence, a $2,000,000 fine, five years’ supervised release, and an $800 special assessment.
This investigation and prosecution was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a joint initiative by the United States Attorney’s Office, each of the nine District Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute dangerous firearms offenders in federal court, where the defendants are likely to receive a substantial sentence upon conviction. Recently, as an extension of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the United States Attorney’s Office, FBI, ATF, Philadelphia Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies have established the Hobbs Act Robbery Task Force to investigate and prosecute organized gangs and groups committing commercial armed robberies in this district.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.