United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Resident Agent in Charge of the Hudson Valley Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), Kelvin Jackson, announced the arrest of JYEREONNE RANSOM and KENNETH CRUTE in connection with a string of armed robberies in Mount Vernon and New York, New York.  RANSOM and CRUTE were arrested on December 6, 2025, and presented today in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy, who ordered them detained.

"As alleged, over the course of three weeks in November, Jyereonne Ransom and Kenneth Crute carried out a series of gunpoint robberies,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “When offenders choose gun violence in New York, we will work to get them off the street using our robust federal investigative tools and partnerships, and they will be charged with serious federal crimes, often carrying mandatory minimums and consecutive sentences, so that they remain off the street.”

“These arrests stem directly from the strong collaboration between ATF NY’s Hudson Valley Field Office and the Mount Vernon Police Department,” said ATF Resident Agent in Charge Kelvin Jackson.  “By combining our expertise and resources, we were able to swiftly stop a pattern of armed robberies that threatened innocent lives.  Our agencies remain firmly committed to safeguarding our communities, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York will now take the case forward.  This type of violence creates fear within the community, and we refuse to tolerate it.  We will persist in doing everything we can to reduce violent gun crime in our streets.”

As alleged in the Complaint filed in White Plains federal court:[1]

RANSOM and CRUTE committed a string of robberies between November 10, 2025, and November 29, 2025, including: a November 10, 2025, gunpoint robbery of a restaurant in upper Manhattan; a November 12, 2025, gunpoint robbery of a restaurant in Mount Vernon; a November 19, 2025, gunpoint robbery of a gas station in Mount Vernon; and a November 29, 2025, robbery of a restaurant in Mount Vernon.

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RANSOM, 19, of New York, New York, is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and four counts of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, each of which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and must be served consecutively to any other prison terms imposed.     

CRUTE, 18, of New York, New York, is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, each of which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and must be served consecutively to any other prison terms imposed.     

The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF Hudson Valley Field Office, the City of Mount Vernon Police Department, the New York City Police Department, and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety.

The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Sidransky is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.