TWO GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR BANK ROBBERY

(GALVESTON, Texas) - Two Galveston gang members convicted by a jury in July 2007 for the armed robbery of a Galveston credit union and attempting to kill a witness against them were sentenced to life in prison, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today.

At a hearing which concluded mid-afternoon today, U.S. District Judge Hayden Head sentenced Broderick Wade York, 31, a member of the Galveston Crypts street gang from Hitchcock, Texas, and Keelon Jmar Senegal, 31, a member of the Galveston Bloods street gang, from La Marque, Texas, were each sentenced to two consecutive life terms of imprisonment for brandishing a firearm during the robbery of the credit union and for using a firearm to shoot a witness. These two consecutive life terms of imprisonment are to be served after each defendant completes a 25-year-term of imprisonment for the other multiple convictions arising from the August 2005 robbery of the University Federal Credit Union.  

Both men were convicted by a jury’s verdict in July 2007 of conspiracy to commit bank robbery, the robbery of the University Federal Credit Union in August 2005, using a firearm to commit the robbery, two counts each of being felons in possession of firearms, conspiracy to tamper with or threaten a witness and using a firearm to threaten the witness in September 2005.

During the trial, the United States proved that on Aug. 11, 2005, York and Senegal, with the assistance of John Wilbur Franklin, 35, of La Marque, and Arthur Lee Winn Jr., 29, of Galveston, robbed the University Federal Credit Union located at 428 Avenue E, in Galveston, of almost $10,000. Multiple witnesses inside the bank saw York and  Senegal as they approached separate bank tellers and demanded money at gunpoint. Franklin stood outside the bank holding the bank’s door to prevent anyone from blocking the escape of York and Senegal. Winn waited outside the bank in a vehicle he had stolen. Upon exiting the bank, York and Senegal, joined by Franklin, ran to the stolen vehicle driven by Winn. Once in the car, a dye pack in the bag containing the money stolen from the bank exploded. Because the stolen vehicle stalled, the men fled the bank on foot.

A Salvadoran national living in the United States as a legal resident alien followed the four men as they fled on foot from the bank. After running two blocks, York, Senegal, Franklin and Winn entered yet another car Winn had stolen and placed nearby. The Salvadoran, a supervisor for a lawn service crew working in the area, testified he had followed the men in a company vehicle as they fled in the second getaway car until one of the men in the back seat of the vehicle pointed a gun at him. Later, the robbers abandoned the second vehicle and caught a ride with a 26-year-old acquaintance from Galveston who happened upon them. Based upon information provided by the Salvadoran, Galveston Police Department officers were able to locate the second getaway car and collect evidence which aided in the identification of York, Senegal, Winn and Franklin as the bank robbers. 

The 26-year-old Galveston resident told the jury about having come upon the men on Aug. 11, 2005, and providing them with a ride following the August robbery. He also described for jurors how he was approached on the evening of Sept. 28, 2005, and shot by York and Senegal in an effort to prevent him from providing information to the police about the University Federal Credit Union robbery. Despite being critically injured and in a coma for over a month, the 26-year-old survived his injuries and provided the jury the testimony that York and Senegal had feared. 

Senegal took the stand in his own defense and claimed he had taken no part in the bank robbery and blamed the shooting of the 26-year-old on other members of the Crypts street gang. 

Franklin, a member of the Galveston Crypts street gang, pleaded guilty in May 2006 to armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the bank robbery. Winn, 29, a member of the Galveston Bloods street gang also pleaded guilty in June 2006 to armed robbery and two counts of using or brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Today, Judge Head sentenced Franklin to 271 months in prison for his convictions. Winn was also sentenced today and will be serving 147 months in federal prison. The sentences reflect the court’s consideration of their cooperation with the United States during the prosecution of this case.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ted Imperato and  Richard D. Hanes, and investigated by the FBI, the Galveston Police Department, the Texas City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.