Trio of gunmen guilty in Philadelphia pharmacy robberies
Three Philadelphia men were convicted by a federal grand jury Thursday after a seven-day trial for a series of armed robberies of pharmacies in and around North Philadelphia between February and May 2010.Emmanuel Duran, 28, Raheem Brown, 24, and John Bowie, 23, were all convicted of robbery, conspiracy to distribute the narcotics they stole and related weapons offenses. The trio targeted pharmacies in the Ludlow, Juniata Park, Fairmount and Penn-Knox neighborhoods of the city.
Three Philadelphia men were convicted by a federal grand jury Thursday after a seven-day trial for a series of armed robberies of pharmacies in and around North Philadelphia between February and May 2010.
Emmanuel Duran, 28, Raheem Brown, 24, and John Bowie, 23, were all convicted of robbery, conspiracy to distribute the narcotics they stole and related weapons offenses.
The trio targeted pharmacies in the Ludlow, Juniata Park, Fairmount and Penn-Knox neighborhoods of the city.
Duran and Brown were also convicted in the gunpoint robbery of an auto body shop in North Philadelphia in March 2010.
In two of the robberies, shots were fired, prosecutors said.
During the robbery of the auto body shop, prosecutors said Duran shot a customer in the leg with a .40-caliber, semiautomatic handgun when he didn't hand over $1,000 fast enough. While Brown pointed a handgun at the customer, prosecutors said Duran took $250 from the shop's owner.
During the robbery of a Fairmount pharmacy in April 2010, authorities said two guns were fired at the victim and at neighbors who were trying to stop the robberies. The indictment said the three defendants stole narcotics and prescription drugs, including oxycodone and codeine syrup, postage stamps and cash valued at more than $13,000, before fleeing.
Two other defendants in the case, Kevin Donnell Staten and Joshua Hines, pleaded guilty in October 2010 and September 2011.
Earlier this month, Bowie and Duran were convicted of separate home-invasion robberies and other offenses. As a result of those convictions and Thursday's, Bowie and Duran face mandatory prison terms of 207 years just for the weapons offenses, which would run consecutive to any prison term for the robbery counts.
Brown faces a mandatory 107-year prison term for the gun offenses which would run consecutive to any prison term for the robbery counts.
Duran, Brown and Bowie. will be sentenced in October. No date has been set for the sentencing of Hines or Staten.