Crowden Crime Dynasty

Many individuals follow in the footsteps of their fathers; most of them aren't criminals. Jerry Jerome Crowden > Jerry Don Crowden > Jerry Benjamin Crowden; three generations of burglars and ne'er do wells named Jerry Crowden. Jerry Jerome is deceased, but we've previously christened Jerry Don one of our sociopaths; is Jerry Benjamin one as well?

Jerry Benjamin Crowden

Now Jerry Benjamin has been indicted for his participation in 12 residential burglaries dating back 18 months, as well as 47 other evil deeds. Benji, as he's known to friends, has already been down south where his sex offender father is currently doing a 20 year sentence for burglary, theft, escape, receiving stolen property, and promoting prison contraband (drugs).

Will Benji now join his father in the incarcerated lifestyle or will some judge take pity on him...until the next time? We're sure his victims are hoping justice is done this go round.

*****

Here's a nice homey photo of Benji from Facebook...where he calls himself the 23 year-old founder and CEO of Crowden Enterprises. We're going to take a guess that crime is a major component of this business.

Or maybe not. We can see it now: You'll love the Crowden line of burglar tools or your money back. Remember we've put three generations of testing into our product.

Were You a Victim of the Benji Crowden Gang?

Benji Crowden - June 2016

One of Jerry Benjamin Crowden’s earliest crimes was the fairly banal “criminal mischief” for which he was arrested in June 2012 at the age of 19. Six months later he had graduated to forgery when he stole a blank check from his grandmother and attempted to cash it at a local bank.

Having made the check out for $80.00 and listing the payee as “cash,” Crowden then proceeded to misspell his grandmother’s name. Even then, he might not have been caught during a busy banking day, but the hapless Florence man chose to commit his crime on New Year’s Day when only a few banks were open and customers were scarce.

The bank notified the grandmother that Benji, as he is universally called to distinguish him from his career felon father Jerry Don Crowden, was up to no good, and she immediately had her errant heir arrested.

Bailed out by family members, Crowden was soon out of jail, but his freedom lasted less than two weeks. On January 12, 2013, he was arrested in Florence for breaking and entering a motor vehicle and third degree theft with witness intimidation thrown in.

Crowden was already the father of a young son, and at this point his girlfriend decided to sever all ties with the blooming felon. In a very public Facebook spat, Crowden called her selfish and announced how much his son needed him. Sadly, he didn’t at that point attempt to become the father his child did need. Instead, he acquired a new girlfriend.

By July of that year, Benji had accumulated four more charges, adding assault and trespassing to two counts of theft. Two months later, Florence police picked up Crowden on two counts of failing to appear in municipal court.

Crowden managed to rack up five more charges in April 2014 when he failed to show up on previous charges in Lauderdale District Court. Crowden’s lack of appointment keeping skills obviously riled the judge, and this time the aspiring bad boy was handed some real time to serve.

By early 2016, Benji was back in the Shoals and looking for a job…using the word in 1930s gangster movie patois. This time Crowden had connections and managed to throw together a gang of four others who were similarly minded.

In late February, Benji’s new crime empire hit a snag when he was arrested for theft and criminal mischief in Lauderdale County. He soon bonded out of jail and, according to authorities, immediately went back to business as usual.

By late June, detectives had accumulated enough evidence to arrest Crowden along with Dedrick Casey, Brandon Berry Sharp, Kayla Michelle Sharp Burns. and Lawrence Matthew Lee. Authorities say the group led by Crowden and Brandon Berry Sharp has been connected to thefts in at least 12 homes/businesses in Lauderdale County. The investigators expect the number to rise to as many as 20 or 25 by the end of the investigation. One victim lost over $30,000.00 in goods, mostly guns. Yes, guns seemed to have been a favorite target of Crowden’s gang. At the time of their arrests, the gang’s purloined loot may have racked up a value of $150,000.00.

Much of what the detectives have recovered is still to be claimed. If you believe you may have been a victim of Benji Crowden and his friends, call the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office at 256-760-5757 and ask to speak with Det. Bullock or Det. Bolton.

And what of Jerry Benjamin Crowden? Now 23, he remains in the Lauderdale County Detention Center charged with over a dozen felonies. He’s also charged with probation violation and the violation of his March 2016 bail. In other words, he’s not going anywhere any time soon except to court. Benji’s little boy was four years-old this spring. We have to wonder when he was going to start being the father he said the child needed?

*****

Today's photographs courtesy of the Shoals Insider. Be sure to like them on Facebook!

Shoals Insider

Our Bad Boys Being Even Badder

We had only this week been asked a question about Jerry Don Crowden, currently doing 20 years in a state department of corrections facility, when we saw this:

Jerry Benjamin Crowden

*****

A reader has informed us that Lexie Graham of Red Bay passed away last week. Mr. Graham was for years the bankroll behind his son Hershel Dale Graham's legal battle to remain free. If any are wondering, no, Hershel isn't dead yet, even though his legal dream team had secured Judge Terry Dempsey's permission for him to spend his "last days" in Red Bay with this father.

Hershel does remain in the Kilby Prison Infirmary idling away his hours in bed while his victim David Andrasik remains dead. Hershel is scheduled to be released on probation next February; however, now that his father is gone, will he have a home?

Hershel Dale Graham

*****

Here's a bad boy we've never mentioned before: Jimmy Clyde Brown. Why mention him now? As with most career criminals, Brown's legal trespasses over the years have not only mounted up, they've escalated. Brown's most recent victim was a woman who had the incredibly bad judgment to date him...and almost wound up dead for her lapse in taste. Ladies, beware; his next girlfriend might not leave the relationship still breathing.

Jimmy Clyde Brown

*****

Last, we have Justin Matthew Green, currently serving a 12 month community corrections sentence in the death of his toddler daughter. For those who think 24 months in prison is far too light a sentence for a man who killed his daughter in an auto accident, how do you feel about only one year in "community corrections" for a man who was responsible for his daughter's death by strangulation?

The last time we checked in on Green, he had just become a father again last December, and all was bliss in his relationship with the new baby mama, Alas, it seems the young lady in question finally wised up; now she refers to Green as the "sperm donor," a very apt title.

Think this woman who considered Green and their relationship the exception to the rule is stuck with him for the next 21 years? Think again. When the daughter has her first child at the age of 25 or 30, hopefully in the state of matrimony with a loving husband, guess whom this unfortunate woman will probably have to confront. How about even when the daughter is 50 and has a sudden illness? Yes, this misguided young woman will be forced to see Green then as well...assuming he even bothers to show up.

Justin Matthew Green

This young woman, who so diligently defended Green when he was under indictment, is now posting articles about sociopaths on her FB page. We hope every woman reading this considers a man's criminal history before entering into a relationship with him, but we're not betting the fireworks show on it.