Brown now pleads guilty to armed robbery

     Brandon Brown has now pleaded guilty to Count 2 – Bank Robbery, Assault with a Deadly Weapon in connection with the July 29 F&M Bank robbery in Monticello.

     On Nov. 23, Brown appeared in District Court in Cedar Rapids and entered a plea of guilty. He still faces charges for Count 1 – Bank Robbery, in which allegedly stole $4,474 from the bank. In pleading guilty, Brown admitted to using force, violence and intimidation on at least one employee of F&M Bank.

     During the court proceedings, the court asked Brown several questions to ensure the defendant’s mental capacity to enter a guilty plea. Brown stated his full name, his age, and extent of his schooling. The court then inquired into Brown’s history of mental illness and addiction to controlled substances. The court further inquired into whether Brown was under the influence of any drug, medication or alcoholic beverage at the time of his plea. The court determined that Brown was not suffering from any mental disability that would impair his ability to make an intelligent and voluntary plea of guilty.

     In changing his previous plea of not guilty, which was recorded in late October, Brown waives all his rights to a trial with the exception of sentencing. When pleading not guilty to two charges in connection with the robbery, Brown would have faced a trial during the week of Dec. 12.

     His decision to plead guilty is the result of a plea agreement. The details of the agreement were not disclosed.

     Brown remains in federal custody in Cedar Rapids, pending his sentence. The date for sentencing was also not disclosed.