Feds Charge 2 In String Of Armed Robberies Across Manhattan And Westchester

MOUNT VERNON, NY — Police in Mount Vernon have closed the case on a string of unsolved armed robberies that have now been linked to similar violent robberies in Manhattan.

The Mount Vernon Police Department announced on Monday that its Detective Division, working in close collaboration with the ATF and NYPD, has successfully closed the active armed robbery pattern investigation with the arrest of two suspects.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Resident Agent in Charge of the Hudson Valley Field Office of the ATF, Kelvin Jackson, said Jyereonne Ransom and Kenneth Crute were arrested in connection with a string of armed robberies in Mount Vernon and New York City.

The two Manhattan men, ages 18 and 19, were arrested on Saturday and presented Monday in White Plains federal court.

The investigation linked the pair to the armed robberies of the Holy Cow Restaurant on Gramatan Avenue, which took place on Nov. 12, and Nov. 29.

One of the suspects will also be charged with a carjacking on Nov. 4, on Linden Avenue, and the armed robbery of the Shell Gas Station on Gramatan Avenue, on Nov. 19.

Mount Vernon officials said that due to the seriousness of these offenses, both will be prosecuted federally.

"On behalf of the Detective Division, I want to thank the residents of Mount Vernon for their continued support, cooperation, and trust," Lt. Janie McKennie, Commanding Officer of the Detective Division, said. "We remain committed every single day to seeking justice for victims and building a safer future for this community. This is a true example of what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies work together and when a community stands united with its police department."

Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard praised the work of the department and the other law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation.

"Our community refuses to be intimidated by violence," Patterson-Howard said. "These arrests show what happens when our residents, our detectives, and our federal and regional partners work together with urgency and purpose. Mount Vernon is safer today because of their dedication, and we will continue to pursue anyone who threatens the safety, dignity, or stability of our city — relentlessly and without hesitation."

The DOJ said both suspects have been ordered detained by the judge.

"As alleged, over the course of three weeks in November, Jyereonne Ransom and Kenneth Crute carried out a series of gunpoint robberies," Clayton said. "When offenders choose gun violence in New York, we will work to get them off the street using our robust federal investigative tools and partnerships, and they will be charged with serious federal crimes, often carrying mandatory minimums and consecutive sentences, so that they remain off the street."

According to the complaint filed in White Plains federal court, Ransom and Crute committed a string of robberies between Nov. 10, and November 29, including: a Nov. 10, gunpoint robbery of a restaurant in upper Manhattan; the Nov. 12, gunpoint robbery of the restaurant in Mount Vernon; a Nov. 19, gunpoint robbery of the gas station in Mount Vernon; and the Nov. 29, second robbery of the restaurant in Mount Vernon.

Ransom is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and four counts of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, each of which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and must be served consecutively to any other prison terms imposed.

Crute is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, each of which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and must be served consecutively to any other prison terms imposed.

Clayton praised the investigative work of the ATF Hudson Valley Field Office, the City of Mount Vernon Police Department, the NYPD, and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety.