MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 31-year-old Minneapolis man was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison in Minneapolis Federal Court on Tuesday in the April 2012 armed robbery of the West 7th Pharmacy in St. Paul.
Michael Brooks Bynum had been charged with one count of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of possession of a firearm in a crime of violence in connection with the April 3, 2012 incident. He was charged along with two others on July 210, 2012, and pleaded guilty on March 11.
In the plea agreement, he admitted that on the day of the robbery, he drove 25-year-old Ray James Brown and 21-year-old Rayshwan Earl James Brown to the West 7th Pharmacy. The men entered the store wearing ski masks, pointed a semi-automatic pistol at an employee and demanded they get down on the floor. They also ordered a pharmacist to fill a bag with Percocet, Vicodin and Oxycontin.
Once they got the drugs, they fled the pharmacy in their vehicle. They were stopped by police a short time later and both of the Browns tried to flee but were quickly arrested.
Bynum and Ray Brown also admitted to armed robberies at three other pharmacies. Back in May, Rayshawn Brown was sentenced to 10 years in prison and Ray Brown was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Bynum had been on supervised release after being convicted on robbery and firearms charges from four other robberies.
