WHITE PLAINS, NY — Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced Arthur Branch of Yonkers pleaded guilty Wednesday to Attempted Robbery in the Second Degree, a felony, for an incident that occurred Sept. 9, 2016, at a Mount Vernon train station. He faces 25 years to life in state prison and will be sentenced as a persistent violent felony offender. Branch is scheduled to appear for sentencing June 27.
Background:
On Sept. 9, 2016, around 11 p.m., Branch approached two women at the Mount Vernon East MetroNorth train station brandishing a box cutter and demanding their money and cell phones. He threatened to slash their faces if they did not comply. He forcibly took a smartphone from each victim and money from one of them. Branch fled the scene. He was arrested Dec. 1, 2016 by MTA police who were assisted in their investigation by the Mount Vernon Police and the New York State Division of Parole.
Assistant District Attorneys Joseph A. Servino and Brian Bendish prosecuted the case.