Indictment Unsealed Charging Three with the Alleged Violent Robbery of Jewelry Store
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 02, 2013 |
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an indictment charging three individuals with allegedly being involved in the violent robbery of a York County jewelry store has been unsealed.
According United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Jamell Smallwood, age 42, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Timothy Forbes, age 31, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Jesse Brewer, age 38, of Jamaica, New York, were charged with robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
An indictment returned by a Harrisburg grand jury on January 30, 2013, was sealed pending the arrest of Smallwood. A superseding indictment was returned on May 15 adding charges against Forbes and Brewer.
The charges are the result of allegations that on July 12, 2012, Smallwood, Forbes, and Brewer robbed White Jewelers in York, Pennsylvania and shot the owner of the store three times, severely injuring him.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the York Area Regional Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith A. Taylor.
Indictments and criminal informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances, and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public, and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational, and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.