Two arrested following string of Del. robberies

Delaware State Police Robbery Unit detectives say they arrested two men and have charged them in connection with a string of armed robberies of pharmacies and convenience stores that happened throughout New Castle County since the beginning of August.

According to the report, on Wednesday, members of the Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team arrested Brian J. Branch, 28, of New Castle, and Michael A. Kolmonen, 28, of Wilmington, in a parking lot of a nearby Wawa shortly.

The arrest happened after Branch reportedly committed the armed robbery of the Walgreens Pharmacy on E. Pulaski Highway, Elkton, MD.

Branch and Kolmonen, who was the driver of the car used in the robbery. Both were taken into custody without incident and subsequently transported to Troop 2, Glasgow.

Brian Branch was charged by detectives with:

• Seven counts of robbery 1st degree
• Two counts of possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony
• Nine counts of possession of a firearm by a person prohibited
• Six counts of wearing a disguise during the commission of a felony
• Four counts of conspiracy 2nd degree
• Two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony
• Two counts of aggravated menacing  

He was arraigned at JP Court 11 and committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institution in default of $3,380,000 cash bail.

Michael A. Kolmonen was charged by detectives with:

• Three counts of robbery 1st degree
• Three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony
• Two counts of wearing a disguise during the commission of a felony
• Three counts of conspiracy 2nd degree
• Aggravated menacing

He was also arraigned at JP Court 11 and committed to the Howard Young Correctional Institution in default of $625,000 cash bail.

According to the report, the investigation began in early August after detectives noticed a trend in robberies which had been happening throughout New Castle County, which mostly targeted pharmacies.

Officials say they also discovered that the same type of incidents had happened in Upper Chichester Township, PA, and in Cecil County, MD too.

Through a cooperative effort of multiple agencies including the New Castle County Police, the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office, the Elkton Police Department, and the Upper Chichester Township Police Department, and after multiple interviews and other investigative means, troopers report they were able to positively identify Brian Branch and Michael Kolmonen as the suspects who were committing the robberies.

According to reports, in each incident, a male suspect would enter the targeted business and show an unknown make and model handgun. The suspect would then apparently confront an employee of the business, demand money from the cash registers, and exit the building and get out of the area in a waiting vehicle. There were no injuries reported in any of the incidents.

Delaware State Police and New Castle County Police detectives were able to link Branch and Kolmonen to the below list of robberies, however, more charges are expected:
1. Walgreens, 19 Marrows Road, Newark, on Monday, August 22, 2016 (NCCPD)

2. Walgreens, 2719 Pulaski Highway, Newark, on Thursday, September 1, 2016

3. CVS, 1545 Pulaski Highway, Bear, on Tuesday, September 13, 2016

4. Dunkirk Liquors, 2 Dunlinden Dr., Wilmington, on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 (NCCPD)

5. Walgreens, 1508 Philadelphia Pike, Wilmington, on Friday, September 16, 2016

6. Walgreens, 1120 Pulaski Highway, Bear, on Sunday, September 18, 2016

Please contact the Cecil County Sheriff’s Department, the Elkton Police Department, and the Upper Chichester Township Police Department for specific details in reference to the robberies which occurred in their jurisdictions.

If anyone has any information in reference to this incident they are asked to contact Det. Jonathon Packard at 302-365-8434.
Information may also be provided by calling Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333, via the internet, or by sending an anonymous tip by text to 274637 using the keyword “DSP.”