Shaquan Brown, a 31-year-old Philadelphia resident, has been sentenced to 272 months in federal prison for his role in a series of violent armed home invasions that targeted business owners and their families. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe.
Brown was charged in August 2020 and found guilty at trial on April 16, 2024. According to court documents, between November 2019 and January 3, 2020, Brown and three co-conspirators carried out robberies targeting individuals they believed kept cash at home. Their methods included using zip ties, duct tape, and firearms. Investigators said Brown conducted research on victims and used GPS tracking devices to find where they lived.
One incident occurred on December 31, 2019, when Brown and two others confronted the owner of a nail salon in Delaware County as he returned to his business. The offenders forced him inside, tied his wrists with zip ties, covered his mouth with duct tape, struck him with fists and a gun, then took cash from the business before moving the victim to his residence. There they encountered the victim’s wife, children, and nanny—zip-tying them as well—and continued demanding money while ransacking the home.
On January 3, 2020, Brown attempted another robbery at a Chester County residence but was interrupted by a security alarm system. Police responded quickly; after a chase through woods and into a creek, officers arrested Brown and recovered duct tape, zip ties, and a firearm from his backpack.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf commented: “What Shaquan Brown and his crew put their victims through was utterly horrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “No one should have to endure a violent ambush in their home or business, be brutally beaten, and see their family traumatized. Today’s sentence ensures that Brown’s home invasion days are over. We will not permit criminals who’d rather take money than make it to terrorize innocent people and whole communities.”
Eric DeGree of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division stated: “Shaquan Brown violently terrorized his victims in their business and in the sanctity of their home,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Philadelphia Field Division. “He is now going to federal prison where he will no longer endanger his neighborhood. ATF Philadelphia Field Division has a long history of partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will continue to work tirelessly together to ensure justice for the victims and to make our communities safer.”
The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Carissimi and J. Jeanette Kang prosecuted the case alongside Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration among law enforcement agencies at all levels.
