A Portland man has been slammed with a 30-year federal prison sentence for murder amid a rash of violent robberies. Keandre Dshawn LaMarcus Brown, 27, who had just finished serving a five-year term for attempted robbery, embarked on a crime spree involving armed robberies that tragically culminated in the slaying of a Milwaukie homeowner in his residence.
"Gun violence continues to be one of the greatest public safety threats in our community," Chief of the Narcotics and Criminal Enterprises Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, Steven T. Mygrant, said in a statement obtained by the Department of Justice; meanwhile, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office, Aubree M. Schwartz added how Brown's heinous acts posed a significant danger as he preyed on over 20 victims over several months.
The string of crimes, dating back to the summer of 2016, targeted at least six local businesses where Brown, together with accomplices, including Keith Bryon Woody Jr., 31, also of Portland, committed armed robberies at several pharmacies and a deli, terrorizing employees and customers while making off with Oxycodone pills, cash and personal items, the Department of Justice reported. The reign of terror peaked when Brown and his gang executed a deadly home invasion on September 5, 2016, resulting in Brown and Woody positioning themselves outside a barricaded bathroom, despite the homeowner's desperate 911 calls before they proceeded to fatally shoot him through the door.
Following their arrest by U.S. Marshals on October 20, 2016, both Brown and Woody were found in possession of firearms, with Brown facing convictions for first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm in state prison before receiving his latest 30-year sentence for federal crimes. According to Milwaukie Police Chief Luke Strait in a Department of Justice interview, this case marked one of the most exhaustive investigations and prosecutions in the region over the last decade.
The severe punishment also includes three years of supervised release and an order that Brown pays $29,991 in restitution to his victims, part of a Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaborative law enforcement and community efforts, this approach again highlights the multi-agency strategy towards purging violent criminal elements from society and reflects the determined efforts to uphold public safety as the Department of Justice continues its crackdown on gun-related crimes and drug trafficking offenses.
