Police said they plan to file multiple felony robbery charges today against a Penn State student and former football player allegedly involved in two robberies of food deliverymen that occurred July 12 and 13.
Jamel Felder, of 811 Old Boalsburg Rd., will be the fifth person charged in the robbery, according to Det. Richard Saupp of the Patton Township Police Department. He was the prosecution's key witness yesterday during preliminary hearings for Ronald Thomas, 19, and Raheem Brockington, 18, both of Philadelphia.
Felder's testimony offered the first glimpse of his involvement in the robberies of a Hunan Wok, 452 E. College Ave., deliveryman and a Domino's Pizza, 1100 N. Atherton St., deliveryman.
Felder told District Justice Allen Sinclair that he served as a lookout in both robberies and that all five men knowingly participated in the robbery. Felder said he was willing to act only as a lookout because "I didn't what to get caught, because I'm in school."
Felder testified the group committed the robbery because one of them needed a bus ticket to return to Philadelphia for work, and that otherwise "he would lose his job." After the two robberies, Felder said the five men split up the money evenly, each receiving $22 or $23. Saupp said the police delayed charging Felder in the case because doing so allowed him to provide testimony yesterday.
The only other witnesses called by the prosecution were the two deliverymen involved in the robberies, Joseph Shanley and Gordan Bevier. During testimony both delivery drivers pointed out Thomas and Brockington when asked if the men who robbed them were in the courtroom.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Brian Manchester asked Shanley, "would you say without any doubt this is them?"
"Unless they have identical twins," Shanley said.
Bevier offered more detail of the second robbery.
"One held me by the throat and put the gun in my rib cage, while the other went through my pockets," he said.
Brockington was free on bail during yesterday's hearing, after the status of his $200,000 bail was changed to unsecured, allowing him to be released without actually posting any money. Ronald Thomas remains in Centre County prison in lieu of $200,000 bail.
Sylvester Weston Riley, 22, of 157 W. Prospect Ave. and Theodore Gant III, 22, of Philadelphia, the other two men allegedly involved in the robbery, were released July 21 after their bail was modified. Riley was released to the custody of his parents and placed in the intensive supervised bail program. Gant was transported to Philadelphia County on an outstanding warrant.
The four individuals already arrested in the case have been charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of criminal conspiracy, two counts of theft by unlawful taking and one count of receiving stolen property.
A pre-trial conference for all four individuals already charged is scheduled for Sept. 28. Jury selection is Oct. 11.
