Two young men from New York City are facing federal charges in connection with an alleged three-week series of armed robberies in Manhattan and Mount Vernon. Jyereonne Ransom, 19, and Kenneth Crute, 18, were arrested earlier this month and are now being prosecuted for multiple alleged gunpoint robberies, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
Ransom and Crute were arrested last Saturday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court. Both were detained pending further proceedings. Authorities, including Clayton and Kelvin Jackson, Resident Agent in Charge of the ATF's Hudson Valley Field Office, outlined their coordinated efforts in the investigation. In a statement, Clayton said that when offenders use firearms in New York, federal agencies work to remove them from the streets using investigative tools and partnerships, and such cases often result in serious federal charges with mandatory minimums and consecutive sentences.
Clayton outlined the series of alleged robberies committed by the pair between November 10 and November 29, which involved several restaurants and a gas station. Ransom and Crute have been charged with Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing firearms during a crime of violence, offenses that carry significant prison sentences.
Ransom faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each robbery count, along with a mandatory minimum of seven years for each firearms-related charge, to be served consecutively. Crute faces similar potential penalties, with up to 20 years for the Hobbs Act robberies and additional consecutive sentences for the firearm charges. Sentencing will ultimately be determined at the discretion of the judge.
Local and federal law enforcement agencies worked together on the case, with Kelvin Jackson highlighting the collaboration between the ATF’s Hudson Valley Field Office and the Mount Vernon Police Department. Jackson noted that the agencies remain committed to addressing gun violence in the region. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Sidransky is leading the prosecution as the courts review the evidence; the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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