HARRISBURG – Two Harrisburg men, Sharif Layton, 38, and Jamal Cooper, 29, were indicted on April 12, 2017, by a federal grand jury for conspiracy, bank robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Layton and Cooper robbed the Juniata Valley Bank located in Burnham, Pennsylvania, on March 27, 2017, in which over $20,000 in cash was taken. The indictment also alleges that Layton and Cooper were in possession of a .40 caliber, Sig Sauer handgun during a crime of violence. Layton and Cooper are convicted felons, making it illegal for them to possess a firearm.
It is further alleged that following the robbery, Layton and Cooper led officers of the Mifflin County Regional Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police on a high speed chase for several miles, until their vehicle was disabled using spike strips.
The matter was investigated by the Mifflin County Regional Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the FBI Capital City Violent Crimes Task Force. The Capital City Violent Crimes Task Force consists of representatives from the FBI’s Harrisburg Field Office and the Harrisburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott R. Ford is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Partnership (“VCRP”), a district wide initiative to combat the spread of violent crime in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the VCRP consists of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose mission is to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit violent crimes with firearms.
SOURCE: United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Middle District of Pennsylvania