Two Men Charged in Bank Robbery Conspiracy

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Luke Kenna, age 43, of Johnstown, New York, and Michael Brown, Jr. a/k/a. “Doc Grimson,” age 40, of Exton, Pennsylvania, have been charged by criminal complaint for conspiring to commit bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The criminal complaint alleges that between November 14 and November 26, 2022, Kenna and Brown agreed to and planned to commit an armed bank robbery at a bank branch in Johnstown, and that Kenna, as part of that conspiracy, conducted surveillance of the bank and purchased items, including weapons, to commit the robbery.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Kenna appeared today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel, and was ordered detained pending trial.

Last week, Brown made an initial appearance in Philadelphia, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and was ordered detained and transported to the Northern District of New York.

This case was investigated by the FBI Albany Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which includes FBI Special Agents, and federal, state and local investigators, including from the New York State Police. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office and New York State Police Special Investigations Unit also provided assistance.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping.