A pair of brothers and a third man face federal charges after being arrested on suspicion of committing at least 23 armed robberies in the Phoenix, Arizona, area over the last two months. Phoenix and Tempe police officers arrested Donovan Bergen, 33, and Lamentino Bergen, 29, January 15 during a traffic stop. The next day, Phoenix officers arrested 39-year-old Ricky Alvarez, according to the FBI.
An FBI release said the bureau began investigating a series of armed robberies in Tempe and Phoenix December 7. The robberies detailed in the FBI’s complaint began on that date and included robberies of cell phone retail stores and restaurants. In each robbery, the suspects have been armed with a handgun or revolver, demanding money from the register.
They’ve also taken cell phones or wireless headphones during the robberies. The FBI announced Monday that the Bergen brothers each face charges of violating the Hobbs Act, a federal statute related to robberies that affect interstate commerce. Alvarez faces one such charge. Those federal charges are in addition to the local charges the trio faces for the armed robberies. [Source: NBC12 News]
