Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

A criminal complaint was filed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Scott Brack and Elgin Brack with the armed robberies of four convenience stores in Queens.  Elgin Brack was also charged with brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  Both defendants were arrested yesterday evening, made their initial appearances this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold and were ordered detained.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ashan M. Benedict, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests.

“As alleged, the defendants struck four all-night commercial businesses in Queens in a span of fewer than three hours, including a Duane Reade store in Woodside where an employee was callously shot in the head simply for resisting the robbery,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “While most people slept through this night of terror, members of the ATF/NYPD Joint Robbery Task Force were working tirelessly to identify and quickly apprehend the perpetrators who will now face justice for their multiple crimes.”

“The aforementioned individuals are alleged to have committed brazen acts of violence terrorizing business owners in their community,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Benedict.  “In one of their acts, a store manager was shot during a robbery attempt. If not for the work of multiple NYPD units and the ATF/NYPD Joint Robbery Task Force, they would be out on the streets continuing to reign terror on the innocent. ATF will continue to work with our partners to send a strong message to individuals that seek to spread violence in their community that all law enforcement resources will be used to apprehend and prosecute them for their violent actions. I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s office for their work in prosecuting this case.”

“New York City has achieved historic reductions in crime over the past two decades, but some outliers continue to traffic in violence and fear,” stated NYPD Commissioner O’Neill.  “That is why the men and women of the NYPD must continue to be the very best at what we do: fighting crime and keeping people safe.  Today’s charges highlight their exemplary work, and I commend the ATF investigators who work daily with our detectives on the Strategic Pattern Armed Robbery and Technical Apprehensions Task Force, or SPARTA.  By so efficiently pursuing and strengthening high-profile armed-robbery cases like this, we – together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District and all of our law-enforcement partners – are making the safest large city in the nation even safer.”

As detailed in the complaint, on November 26, 2018, at approximately 3:36 a.m., Elgin Brack entered a Duane Reade store at 60-02 Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside and pointed a gun at the store clerk.  Brack then moved behind the store counter, attempted to force the clerk to turn over money and shot the clerk in the hand and the head as he resisted.  Brack fled the Duane Reade and together with Scott Brack, traveled by car to a 7-Eleven store located at 50-92 Northern Boulevard in Long Island City where, at approximately 3:58 a.m., Elgin Brack demanded money at gunpoint and took $300 from an employee.  Next, the defendants drove to a Rite Aid store located at 33-01 30th Avenue in Astoria at approximately 4:20 a.m., where Elgin Brack approached a store clerk and asked to purchase chewing gum.  When the store clerk opened the cash register, Brack pointed a gun and demanded money.  The store clerk handed over $802.  Immediately outside the Rite Aid store, video surveillance captured Scott Brack discarding an item consistent in size and shape with the cash register tray taken from the prior 7-Eleven armed robbery.  Finally, at approximately 5:45 a.m., Elgin Brack entered a second Rite Aid store located at 115-10 Merrick Boulevard in Jamaica, approached a store clerk, pointed a gun and demanded money.  The store clerk complied and gave Elgin Brack $200. 

 The charges in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum of seven years in prison.

Assistant United States Attorney Phil Selden is in charge of the prosecution. 

The Defendant:

SCOTT BRACK
Age:  50
Bronx, New York

ELGIN BRACK
Age:  22
Brooklyn, New York

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