Jeannette man not guilty of ordering teen brother to shoot adversary
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A Westmoreland County jury on Thursday cleared a Jeannette man of allegations that he ordered his teenage brother to shoot his opponent after losing a street fight nearly four years ago.
Following just one of hour deliberations, jurors returned not guilty verdicts for all five counts against Brandon Ingram.
Ingram, 27, was charged with solicitation to commit murder, aggravated assault and three other counts in connection with a shootout on April 7, 2021 between his younger brother and his fight opponent’s mother outside of their Lowry Avenue home.
“I’m glad,” Ingram said as he left the courtroom following his acquittal.
Prosecutors during the two-day trial contended Ingram and his brother initially threatened then 17-year-old James Sanders and his mother and eventually agreed to fight the teen.
Sanders and his mother testified that after Ingram lost the fight he looked at his brother and told him to shoot Sanders.
Sanders was wounded in the hand by one of several shots that were fired by Dasean Ingram, prosecutors said.
Sanders’ mother, Terra Dudley, shot Dasean Ingram one time in the thigh. Prosecutors said Dudley acted in self-defense and she was not charged.
Brandon Ingram, a former middle school assistant wrestling coach in McKeesport, during his testimony earlier in the day denied he directed his then 16-year-old brother to fire. He claimed he didn’t know the teen was in possession of a weapon.
Ingram said he and his brother initially planned to confront other teens about allegations of bullying and quickly left the scene after a brief argument.
Ingram testified he returned on foot to the Sanders’ home after learning his brother and a large group of friends had traveled back to continue the argument. He told jurors he was an unwilling participant the street fight that followed with Sanders.
“I never consented to anything and he overpowered me into the street. I was on my knees on the street and I don’t remember anything else. I only remembered a couple of seconds of the fight then I blacked out,” Ingram testified.
He denied instructing his brother to shoot Sanders when the fight ended.
“I never would have put anyone in harm that way,” Ingram told jurors.
Ingram claimed he sustained injuries to his head and ribs, but conceded he did not initially seek medical treatment. He said he had no memory of the events that followed his beating and denied seeing or hearing gunfire.
Defense attorney Valerie Veltri argued Ingram attempted to serve as a peace maker and never threatened violence. She suggested that Sanders and Dudley lied when they claimed Ingram ordered his brother to shoot.
“They committed an act of violence. A mother shot a child, we know the mother shot Dasean. They had to justify why she used force against a child so they had to invent this story,” Veltri argued.
Assistant District Attorney Leo Ciaramitaro argued Ingram’s story was not to be believed. He told jurors Veltri’s argument was “absurd.” He highlighted Ingram’s testimony in which he said he believed he had his brother’s respect and that the teen regularly followed his instructions.
Ciaramitaro said the prosecution’s case was sufficient to prove Ingram was guilty.
“Perhaps for bad aim that’s what we would have had here — a homicide,” Ciaramitaro said.
Dasean Ingram was initially charged as an adult with attempted homicide and other related counts. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger last year transferred the case to juvenile court, where it has since been disposed. Details of the case have been removed from public dockets.
Brandon Ingram, who has been free on bail since his arrest, said he has had no contact for the last year with his now 20-year-old brother.