SPRING VALLEY CAREER CRIMINAL CONVICTED IN VIOLENT ATTEMPTED ROBBERY

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe announced that Edward Brims (DOB 04/08/57) of 244 North Main Street, Spring Valley New York was convicted after a jury trial of:

-Two counts of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree, class ”C” Felonies

-One count of Attempted Robbery in the Second Degree, a class “D” Felony

-One count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony

-One count of Assault in the Second Degree, a class “D” Felony

On October 12, 2010, at approximately 7 p.m., the defendant – wearing a mask – entered “Guzzles,” a convenience store on North Main Street in Hillcrest and attempted to rob the owner at gunpoint. When the store owner heard a “click,” he believed he was being shot and rushed at the defendant. Brims struck the victim several times with the gun, causing minor injuries.

During the struggle, the victim was able to remove the defendant’s mask. A subsequent forensic examination revealed Brims’ DNA on the mask. On December 16, 2010, after learning the defendant’s identity from the genetic evidence contained on the mask, several police agencies attempted to apprehend the suspect during a traffic stop on North Main Street. Brims led police on a high-speed pursuit. The two-mile chase ended when the defendant hit a patch of ice and crashed the vehicle on Decatur Avenue in Spring Valley. No one was injured.

A search of the chase route uncovered a loaded Ruger nine-millimeter handgun, which police suspected was tossed from the vehicle during the pursuit. The handgun matched the description of the weapon used in the attempted robbery of “Guzzles.” A forensic examination of the gun later revealed Brims’ DNA on the trigger. The defendant’s trial began on January 9, 2012. Jurors deciding the case in the courtroom of Rockland County Court Judge William A. Kelly returned a verdict of guilty today following fewer than three hours of deliberations.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 30, 2012. He faces a minimum state prison sentence of 16 years to life. Brims has nine prior convictions, including felonies for robbery and escape. He is suspected of committing a string of armed robberies throughout Rockland County in mid to late-2010. This case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Richard Kennison Moran.

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