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Ramel Harris, 40, and Neville Brown, 38, both of Brooklyn, were charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced on Thursday, Sept. 22.
Harris and Brown are accused of attempting to rob a check cashing location in Nanuet, New York, and later successfully robbing three check cashing locations throughout New Jersey, while brandishing a firearm and using zipties to restrain female workers at each location between January 2021 and January 2022, authorities said.
More than $578,000 was stolen during the New Jersey robberies, authorities said.
A follow-up investigation found that Harris and Brown surveilled additional locations in Mount Kisco, New York; Allentown, Pennsylvania; and West Chester, Pennsylvania. The suspects were ultimately linked to the robberies via an “extensive amount” of video surveillance, authorities said.
Harris and Brown were detained following an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Assisting agencies include the FBI’s New Jersey field office, the FBI’s New York field office, the FBI’s Philadelphia field office, the Hackettstown Police Department, the Old Bridge Police Department, the Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the Clarkstown Police Department, the Westchester County (New York) Department of Public Safety, and the Borough of West Chester (Pennsylvania) Police Department.
The full criminal complaint can be viewed here.
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