Judge sentences Crawford, Bandy in Leroy shooting

The men each received 20 to 40 years in prison for the crime spree. Common Pleas Judge Anthony DeFino sentenced Christopher Crawford and Albert Bandy to 20 to 40 years in prison for their involvement in a series of robberies that culminated with the September shooting of College senior Patrick Leroy. Crawford, 21, and Bandy, 18, pleaded guilty February 14 to all criminal charges -- including attempted murder, robbery and conspiracy -- stemming from six separate armed robberies, four of which involved members of the University community. The crime spree ended when the two criminals robbed Leroy, College senior Leonard Dunn and Wharton senior Cameron Reilly with a semiautomatic weapon at 40th and Locust streets in the early morning hours of September 25. When Bandy ordered the students not to run, Leroy retorted "don't tell me what to do," and after being urged by Bandy, Crawford shot Leroy once in the side. The robbers' accomplice, Christopher "Big Boy" Jones, had already been sentenced to 20 to 60 years in the state correctional institute in a separate trial for driving the get-away car and for involvement in other armed robberies. Friends and relatives of both the plaintiffs and the defendants filled Court Room 607 of the Criminal Justice Center yesterday for the sentencing. During the proceedings, Bandy and Crawford apologized to the victims and urged DeFino to give them the opportunity to "do the right thing" and make something of their lives. Defense attorneys Louis Priluker and Lee Mandell argued for leniency, and stressed that Crawford and Bandy had been heavily under the influence of drugs during their crimes. Mandell cited Bandy's upbringing by a drug-addicted mother who abandoned him at age 10 as the impetus behind Bandy's own addictions to drugs and alcohol. The attorney added that Bandy has taken "positive steps" toward a brighter future since his arrest by staying off drugs and recently receiving his high school equivalency certificate. Priluker brought several character witnesses -- including Crawford's fiancee and several family friends -- before the court to attest that Crawford is a "respectable, nice, clean-cut young man." The witnesses noted that Crawford -- who had never been arrested before last year's crimes -- was raised by a good family and had a supportive group of friends. And Priluker stressed that the fact that "Mr. Crawford avoided [crime] for years speaks volumes for him" since he was raised in a low-income neighborhood. Priluker added that Crawford is "not nasty by nature" and was led to crime by illegal drugs. Before calling her witnesses to the stand, Assistant District Attorney Jodi Lobel -- who prosecuted the case -- stressed that the violence of Crawford and Bandy's crimes "shook the University" and "disrupted an entire city." Lobel questioned the value of the criminals' apologies after they had been caught, adding sarcastically that "this is a fine time to get their lives together, Your Honor." While at the stand, Reilly told the court of the effect the crimes had on him, his friends and the University as a whole. He noted that the severity of Crawford and Bandy's crimes September 25 "speak much more heavily" than their having signed up for a drug rehabilitation program or received their graduation equivalency diplomas while in prison. He added that the criminals "made it clear that Penn was a target" and created a fearful atmosphere on campus. In his sentencing, DeFino read a letter that University President Judith Rodin had written to him, stressing that "crime will not be tolerated" around Penn.

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