Members of Armed Robbery Ring Convicted

A federal jury today convicted Emmanuel Duran, Raheem Brown, and John Bowie of the armed robberies of pharmacies in Philadelphia between February and May 2010 and convicted Duran and Brown of robbing the A&G Auto Body at 2015 N. 19th Street in Philadelphia. All of the defendants were convicted of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to distribute the narcotics they sold, and related weapons offenses.

The pharmacies that were robbed included:

February 8, 2010, M.D. Pharmacy, 1641 N. Franklin Street, Philadelphia, Bowie charged

February 23, 2010, M.D. Pharmacy, 1641 N. Franklin Street, Philadelphia, Bowie charged

April 21, 2010, Pharmacy of America, 1500 E. Erie, Philadelphia, All charged

April 29, 2010, Ellis Pharmacy, 2441 Brown Street, Philadelphia, All charged

May 7, 2010, Germantown Pharmacy, 5100 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, Duran and Brown charged

May 25, 2010, Henneberry Pharmacy, 828 N. 24th Street, Philadelphia, Brown and Bowie charged

In two of the robberies, shots were actually fired. A customer at A&G was shot in the leg when he did not give Duran the money fast enough; in the Ellis Pharmacy robbery, two guns were fired at the victim and at neighbors who were trying to stop the defendants.

All three defendants are from Philadelphia; Duran is 28, Brown is 24, and Bowie is 23.

Earlier this month, Bowie and Duran were convicted of home invasion robberies and other offenses. As a result of those convictions and these, Bowie and Duran face a mandatory prison term of 207 years just for the weapon offenses, which would run consecutive to any prison term for the robbery counts. Brown faces a mandatory 107-year prison term for the weapon counts, which would run consecutive to any prison term for the robbery counts. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for October 16 and 17, 2012 before U.S. District Court Judge Legrome D. Davis.