Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Robbery added to Facebook gun video charge
A Broward man accused of waving a gun around while singing and dancing on Facebook Live earlier this year is now facing charges he also took part in a cross-dressing jewelry store robbery.
Both crimes were captured on video: One was streamed live on Facebook from Fort Lauderdale on March 20 and the other was recorded by security cameras at the Port St. Lucie store on April 13.
Christopher Brinson was arrested April 21 on a federal charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a gun. He pleaded not guilty and is jailed without bond in Miami while that case is pending.
On Thursday, federal prosecutors filed new criminal charges against Brinson. He’s now accused of robbery and using a gun during a crime of violence: the robbery of LSO Jewelers and Repair on St. Lucie West Boulevard.
If convicted in the Facebook Live case, Brinson would face a maximum punishment of 15 years to life in federal prison. The robbery-related charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years to life in prison.
The investigation started when FBI agents saw the Facebook Live video, which features Brinson and a friend singing and dancing outside a convenience store in the 700 block of Northwest 22nd Road in Fort Lauderdale’s Franklin Park neighborhood.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, which generally investigates allegations of gun possession by convicted felons, took over the Facebook video case April 5. Convicted felons are banned