Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Kelvin Jackson, Resident Agent in Charge of the Hudson Valley Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), announced the arrest of Jyereonne Ransom and Kenneth Crute. The two were taken into custody on December 6, 2025, in connection with a series of armed robberies in Mount Vernon and Manhattan. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court and were ordered 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.”
According to allegations outlined in a complaint filed in White Plains federal court, Ransom and Crute are accused of committing multiple robberies between November 10 and November 29, 2025. The incidents include an armed robbery at a restaurant in upper Manhattan on November 10; an armed robbery at a restaurant in Mount Vernon on November 12; an armed robbery at a gas station in Mount Vernon on November 19; and another robbery at a restaurant in Mount Vernon on November 29.
Ransom, age 19 from New York City, faces charges including conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and four counts of Hobbs Act robbery—each count carries up to 20 years imprisonment—as well as three counts related to brandishing a firearm during violent crimes that require mandatory minimum sentences served consecutively.
Crute, age 18 also from New York City, is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery along with three counts of Hobbs Act robbery—each carrying up to 20 years imprisonment—and two counts related to brandishing a firearm during violent crimes with mandatory minimum consecutive sentences.
Sentencing decisions are determined by Congress but ultimately imposed by judges after conviction.
Jay Clayton commended investigators from ATF’s Hudson Valley Field Office as well as local law enforcement agencies involved: City of Mount Vernon Police Department, New York City Police Department, and Westchester County Department of Public Safety.
The prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Sidransky from the White Plains Division.
It was emphasized that these charges are accusations only; both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
