CNBNews

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced that a Trenton man was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in New Jersey state prison for shooting two security guards outside of a Veterans of Foreign War hall in Willingboro in early 2017.

Brandon Washington, 34, must serve 17 years before becoming eligible for parole. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Charles A. Delehey, J.S.C.

A jury in February found Washington guilty of two counts of Passion Provocation Attempted Manslaughter (Second Degree).

“We are very pleased that this defendant has been held accountable for his actions,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “We cannot allow gun violence to go unpunished. The two victims in this case were simply doing their jobs protecting the guests at the VFW and, because of Washington’s homicidal behavior, it could have cost them their lives.”

The investigation revealed that on February 16, 2017, Washington became unruly during a party at the Levittown Memorial VFW Post 4914 on Pageant Lane and was escorted from the hall by two security guards. Once outside, he pulled a gun and fired, striking one man in the temple and the other in the arm.

“One of these victims served our country in the Vietnam war,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “To think that he made it home safely and years later could have been killed by this defendant’s hot-headed actions should infuriate law-abiding members of the public.”

Washington was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Michael Angermeier. The case was investigated by the Willingboro Township Police Department and the BCPO Major Crimes Unit. The lead investigators were Willingboro Detective Brandin Whitham and BCPO Detective Brian Miller.

published gloucestercitynews.net | April 27, 2019