One of the indicted suspects in a group prosecutors say is responsible for a 2011 pharmacy robbery and a 2012 bank robbery pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court.
Jason Brice, 27, pleaded guilty to the armed bank robbery of a U.S. Bank branch on Gettysburg Avenue in February 2012. Brice could face between no time and a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In exchange, federal prosecutors dropped a kidnapping charge.
The plea agreement remains under seal.
Brice admitted his role in the bank robbery and kidnapping. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 14. His attorney, William Daly, declined comment.
In June, the FBI announced the arrests of Shellie Woods, Terrell Mabry, Dion Gullatte and Brice. The other three indicted men face charges of bank robbery, weapons possession and kidnapping.
"Anytime you have the first defendant in a case admit guilt, come forward, it certainly helps in resolving and working toward a resolution with the other defendants," Tabacchi said. "Based on the FBI's investigation, Mr. Brice was the least culpable of the defendants in this investigation."
U.S. District Court Judge Walter Rice has authority to sentence Brice any length up to the maximum, though Tabacchi said the advisory guideline range for Brice is between 13 and 15 years.
Investigators say the November 2011 robbery of the St. Elizabeth Pharmacy and the February 2012 robbery of the U.S. Bank on Gettysburg Avenue were perpetrated by the same group of men. Both involved suspects kidnapping employees and family members. The alleged robbers took 1,000 Percocet and Oxycodone pills worth $30,000 from the pharmacy and $90,000 in cash from the bank.
