Orange County D.A. Announces Plea’s for Pair of “Violent Repeat Offenders”

Prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler and his office made the announcement that plea deals had been submitted by "violent repeat offenders" involved in various crimes that happened in Newburgh. The crimes in question were part of a series of violent crime that occurred between late 2023 and early 2024.

Violent Crime Timeline

This long-term investigation was carried out by the Non-Fatal Shooting Taskforce, This Taskforce consists of members of the City of Newburgh Police Department, investigators and attorneys with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and analysts from the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center. In this investigation, they prioritized gang-related violence both in and around the city of Newburgh.

The first incident stated in the press release issued by the Orange County District Attorney's Office, which was also stated in court documents and statements made in court, occurred on September 21, 2023.

In that incident the two suspects identified as 26-year old Jesus Bravo and 24-year old Wilmer Reyes-Bran, allegedly approached an individual in the City of Newburgh and asked if he was in a known gang. Afterward Reyes-Bran pulled out a knife and stabbed the individual in the arms, face and torso while Bravo punched and kicked the victim.

The second incident occurred on December 11, 2023 where it was alleged that Bravo and Reyes-Bran followed two males at a location in the City of Newburgh. Bravo then fired a gun at one of the men, who ran away.  Bravo and Reyes-Bran then approached the other man where Bravo pistol whipped him while Reyes-Bran kicked the man.

Violent Crime Timeline Continued

The third of the four documented incidents occurred just before the New Year on December 30, 2023. In that incident police officers were alerted to a ShotSpotter activation in an area of the City of Newburgh. When officers arrived to the scene, they found an SUV with eight (8) bullet holes though no other people were present.

Later in the investigation, police were informed that a victim was transported to a local hospital with a gun shot wound to the back. Surveillance video evidence gathered in the investigation showed that Bravo was the individual who fired the weapon, which was given to him by Reyes-Bran.

The final of the documented incidents took place on February 14, 2024. In that incident, law enforcement executed a judicially-authorized search warrant at Reyes-Bran’s residence in the City of Newburgh. In their search, law enforcement recovered a firearm without a serial number, as well as ammunition for the firearm that Reyes-Bran had in his pocket.

An analysis of the firearm linked the weapon to the shootings that occurred in December 2023.

Pleas Issued in Court

Fast forward over a year after the first documented event occurred and the suspects, Bravo and Reyes-Bran submitted their pleas of guilty in Orange County Court before the Honorable Judge Craig Stephen Brown on Friday November 22, 2024.

Bravo plea of guilty is for the charges of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and two counts of Assault in the Second Degree relating to three incidents in 2023.

Reyes-Bran plea of guilty is for Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and two counts of Assault in the Second Degree relating the three incidents with Bravo, in addition to the incident in 2024.

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Bravo is scheduled for sentencing on January 25, 2025. As part of the plea agreement, it is anticipated that Bravo will serve an aggregate term of nineteen (19) years in prison to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision.

Reyes-Bran is scheduled for sentencing on February 25, 2025. In that sentencing the People, will recommend that Reyes-Bran be sentenced to an aggregate term of twenty-six (26) years in prison to be followed by five (5) years of post-release supervision.

After the plea deals were announced, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler issued a statement saying

The pleas entered today mark an end to the reign of violence perpetrated by these two defendants...

He concluded his statement by thanking the various parties involved in the investigation while also reaffirming violent crimes must be investigated and that the violent criminals who carry them out must be identified and stopped.