Pair arrested in robbery spree targeting Philly gamblers and casino workers
One suspect had been arrested in a similar series of stickups in 2013.
Police and the FBI have arrested two men in a string of robberies that targeted patrons and employees of what is now known as the Rivers Casino after they left the Fishtown gaming establishment.
One of the suspects, Perry Kellam, 33, had been arrested in five similar robberies in 2013, when the casino was known as SugarHouse, police said.
Kellam and Tyrone Tarpley, 38, were arrested Feb. 10 and Feb. 12, respectively, following a multi-agency, federal-state investigation into at least 16 robberies dating back to Nov. 23, 2018.
Officials said the robberies, including two at gunpoint, occurred around the city as well as in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, and Tinicum Township, Delaware County.
All the victims were of Asian descent, police said.
Kellam has been charged with robbery, RICO (Racketeer-Influenced Corrupt Organization), conspiracy, and related offenses in 10 of the stickups and is a prime suspect in six others, police said.
Tarpley faces similar charges in three robberies, police said.
According to court records, Kellam was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison in March 2016 after guilty pleas in three robberies in 2013. He was released in June 2017 after four years in custody and was on parole, state Department of Corrections records indicate.
Both men are in custody awaiting separate preliminary hearings.