Source: Office of United States Attorneys
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Luke Kenna a.k.a. “Lt.,” age 44, of Gloversville, New York, was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for conspiring to commit bank robbery and for illegally possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a prior misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Michael Brown, Jr. a.k.a. “Russ” a.k.a. “Doc Grimson,” age 43, of Exton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for his part in the bank robbery conspiracy.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of their respective guilty pleas, Brown and Kenna each admitted that between November 14 and November 27, 2022, they agreed to and planned to commit an armed bank robbery at a bank branch in Johnstown, New York, with each other and with another conspirator, Brian Tierney a.k.a. “Wodanaz.” As part of that conspiracy, Kenna conducted surveillance of the bank and purchased items, including weapons, to commit the robbery; Tierney ordered handgun parts for use in the robbery and sent photographs of a handgun, and a radio scanning and jamming device, to Kenna; and Brown drove to New York to conduct surveillance of the bank with Kenna.
Kenna also admitted that he possessed a rifle on November 6, 2022, after previously being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered that both Brown and Kenna serve 3-year terms of supervised release. Kenna was also ordered to forfeit the rifle he possessed in November 2022.
The third conspirator, Brian Tierney, of Lynchburg, Virginia, pled guilty on April 16, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 16, 2024, by Chief Judge Sannes.
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, investigated the case. The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, and New York State Police Special Investigations Unit also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.