An “armed serial robber” who terrorized Fort Worth-area businesses last year is now facing 60 years in federal prison.
Charles Brownlee, 37, was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $21,000 in restitution, according to a release from the Department of Justice. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor sentenced him July 18.
“After terrorizing employees at multiple businesses throughout the DFW area, this defendant’s violent crime spree ended because of the stellar work of our law enforcement partners,” said Nancy Larson, acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, in the release provided to The Dallas Express.
A jury convicted Brownlee in March for one charge of “conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery,” five charges of “interference with commerce by robbery,” five charges of using a gun in a violent crime, and one charge of a felon possessing a gun.
He allegedly robbed five cash loan stores in Grand Prairie, Fort Worth, Euless, Hurst, and Grapevine from May 9 to May 21, 2024, according to the release. In each of the robberies, he tried to hide his identity by wearing a “medical mask” and different outfits.
Katherine Miller, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, told The Dallas Express she could not confirm Brownlee’s “associations with any criminal groups.”
Agencies, including the FBI-Dallas, Fort Worth Police Department, Euless Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department, Hurst Police Department, and Grapevine Police Department, investigated this case.
The Fort Worth Police Department sought an “increasingly violent,” armed serial robber in December. Like Brownlee, the suspect used different disguises to conceal his identity. Miller told The Dallas Express she could not confirm if he is the same suspect.