(From a press release)
United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Cushmir McBride, 25, of Yeadon, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson to 90 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, $417,463 in restitution, and a $300 special assessment for setting off explosives near ATMs inside a Target, a Wells Fargo bank branch, and Wawa stores.
McBride and two others were charged with those crimes in an April 2021 indictment and a January 2022 superseding indictment. In January of this year, McBride pleaded guilty to conspiracy to maliciously damage property used in interstate commerce using an explosive and aiding and abetting, as well as five separate counts of maliciously damaging property used in interstate commerce using an explosive.
Several of the crimes took place in the aftermath of the October 26, 2020, Philadelphia police officer-involved shooting in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia that resulted in the death of Walter Wallace, Jr. Peaceful protests began that evening and continued into the following days, accompanied by a period of civil unrest, with widespread incidents of looting and violence in various neighborhoods in Philadelphia.
On October 28, 2020, McBride and codefendants Nasser McFall, 25, of Claymont, Del., and Kamar Thompson, 37, of Philadelphia, conspired to break into a Target in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and set off an explosive device to steal money from an ATM inside.
The following day, October 29, the defendants broke into a Wawa on Richmond Street in Philadelphia, where they again set off explosive devices to steal money from the ATM. On October 31, 2020, the defendants broke into another Wawa in Northeast Philadelphia and detonated an explosive device. On November 4, 2020, the defendants set off an explosive device in another Wawa in Claymont, Del., in an attempt to rob this store in the same manner. On December 2, 2020, the three defendants set off an explosive device inside an ATM at a Wells Fargo bank in Philadelphia. McBride was also charged with setting off an explosive device at a Wells Fargo ATM in Philadelphia on March 2, 2021.
In total, the defendants were able to steal approximately $417,000 during the conspiracy.
Thompson pleaded guilty in November 2021 to conspiracy to maliciously damage property used in interstate commerce using an explosive, aiding and abetting, six counts of maliciously damaging property used in interstate commerce using an explosive, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
McFall pleaded guilty to five counts against him in June 2022 and, in January of this year, was sentenced by the late U.S. District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter to 78 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $256,083.
“McBride and crew carried out a string of violent and dangerous crimes, looking to cash in with a bang,” said Romero. “Whether you rob a bank with a note, a store with a gun, or an ATM with an explosive, you’re committing a serious federal crime and should expect to be caught and prosecuted. As this defendant and his co-conspirators are learning, crime not only doesn’t pay, it can also cost you dearly.”
“McBride caused significant damage and endangered countless lives by recklessly blowing up ATMs with illegal explosive devices at least six times,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “ATF is committed to protecting our communities from harm and working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt violent explosives-related activity. I want to thank the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Fire Marshals Office, Delaware State Police, Upper Chichester Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from Delaware State Police and Upper Chichester Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne.
