A Delaware County man, Cushmir McBride, received a prison sentence of 90 months for using explosives in several attempts to rob ATMs throughout the area. In a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero confirmed that McBride, 25, from Yeadon, PA, was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, ordered to pay $417,463 in restitution and to give a $300 special assessment by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson.
McBride, along with two other co-defendants, Nasser McFall and Kamar Thompson, were implicated in a string of ATM robberies. The offenses were detailed in indictments from April 2021 and January 2022, which led to McBride pleading guilty to numerous charges earlier this year, including conspiracy to maliciously damage property used in interstate commerce using an explosive, and aiding and abetting. Set off in the aftermath of the Philadelphia police officer-involved shooting of Walter Wallace Jr., these crimes occurred, igniting protests that were both peaceful and accompanied civil unrest with widespread looting and violence.
In a targeted effort, McBride and his associates set off explosives in a total of six incidents, with one taking place inside a Target in Philadelphia on October 28, 2020, and similar attempts following at Wawa stores and a Wells Fargo bank branch. Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF's Philadelphia Field Office, noted in a release that "McBride caused significant damage and endangered countless lives by recklessly blowing up ATMs with illegal explosive devices at least six times." The cumulative actions of the defendants netted approximately $417,000 during their crime spree, as reported by the Justice Department. McFall and Thompson have also pleaded guilty to related charges, with McFall sentenced earlier this year to 78 months.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alongside the Philadelphia Police Department led the investigation, with support from Delaware State Police and Upper Chichester Police Department. Assisting the successful prosecution were Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne. In her remarks, U.S. Attorney Romero sent a clear message, stating, "Whether you rob a bank with a note, a store with a gun, or an ATM with an explosive, you’re committing a serious federal crime and should expect to be caught and prosecuted." Crime, according to the statement, not only fails to pay but also can cost dearly.
