Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery Conspiracy

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Brown, Jr., a/k/a “Russ,” a/k/a “Doc Grimson,” age 41, of Exton, Pennsylvania, pled guilty today to conspiring to commit bank robbery. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

Brown admitted that between November 14 and November 27, 2022, he agreed to and planned to commit an armed bank robbery at a bank branch in Johnstown, New York, with two co-conspirators, Luke Kenna a/k/a “Lt.,” and Brian Tierney a/k/a “Wodanaz.” Kenna, as part of that conspiracy, conducted surveillance of the bank and purchased items, including weapons, to commit the robbery, and Brown drove to New York to conduct surveillance of the bank with Kenna in November.

The charges remain pending against Kenna and Tierney, both of whom have been arrested and detained pending a trial currently scheduled for August 7, 2023. The charges in their indictment are merely accusations. They are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Brown has been in custody since his arrest on December 14, 2022.  Sentencing is scheduled for November 3, 2023, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes, when Brown faces a maximum term of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of up to 3 years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

This case was investigated by the FBI Albany Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes FBI Special Agents, and federal, state, and local investigators, including from the New York State Police. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and New York State Police Special Investigations Unit also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.