Andre Brown is a husband, father, brother, son, uncle and friend who was wrongfully convicted in 1999 and has been falsely imprisoned for 21 years. On January 15, 1999, at approximately 5:33 PM, on a Friday evening, two teenage boys were shot by a masked gunman on Allerton Avenue between Britton Street and Olinville Avenue, in Bronx County. The gunman, donning a mask, shot Oneill Virgo on the corner of White Plains Road and Britton Street. He then chased after Shawn Nicholson, removing the mask as he ran with a gun in his right hand, and was seen by eyewitness Stephenie Telfer, who was caught in traffic on Britton Street between White Plains Road and Olinville Avenue. As the
gunman gave chase on Britton Street, Shawn Nicholson, turned on Olinville Avenue seeing the gunman's unmasked face,
he then received one shot to the back ultimately paralyzing him from the waist down.

On January 20, 1999, Andre Brown, a college student
attending the Borough of Manhattan Community College,
turned himself in with his counsel Martin Fisher, Esq., to Detective Rupprecht at the 49TH precinct. Later that evening, a
lineup was conducted at the 48th precinct in which eyewitness
Stephenie Telfer, picked Andre Brown out of the custodial line.

Due to a poor police investigation Andre Brown was misidentified in this case. Shonda Tyrell and Andre Brown
share similar but distinct features. (1) They are both light skinned African American males who resemble one another; (2)
They both wore similar type hairstyles (Afros); and, (3) At the time of the crime they both lived in the Coops on Allerton and Barker Avenue. These similarities was the Achilles heel for Andre Brown's wrongful conviction.

Unfortunately, we often hear about cases in which black men are falsely convicted and a full investigation is not done. According to an article by Barbara O'Brien and Kristen Parker of Michigan State University, African- Americans are more likely to be wrongfully convicted. This happens to just be one of many articles. This happens all over the country including New York (see Central Park Five of 1989). Andre asks that you all support him in this motion.

2025 UPDATE:

Hello, everyone.

We have an urgent update regarding Andre Brown’s case. As many of you know, Andre was wrongfully convicted in 1999 and served 23 years before his conviction was vacated in December 2022 due to ineffective assistance of counsel. Since his release, Andre has been a dedicated husband, father, and community advocate, working tirelessly to support at-risk youth and contribute positively to society. 

However, on December 24, 2024, the New York Appellate Division reinstated his conviction, and Andre now faces the possibility of returning to prison to serve the remaining 17 years of his sentence for a crime he did not commit. His legal team has filed an emergency clemency petition with Governor Kathy Hochul, and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office has granted a 30-day stay as he awaits the Governor’s response.   

We urgently call upon Governor Hochul to grant clemency to Andre Brown. His exemplary behavior since his release and his contributions to the community demonstrate that he poses no threat to society and deserves to remain free.  

Please join us in advocating for Andre’s freedom by contacting Governor Hochul’s office to express your support for his clemency petition. Your voice can make a difference in ensuring that justice prevails.

In solidarity,

Alexus Brown