Moorpark Man Pleads Guilty to 6 Robberies : Banks: Jay Carlton Brammer, 24, admits in U.S. District Court that he is the so-called ‘Briefcase Bandit.’

A Moorpark man who federal agents say held up at least 14 banks in the San Fernando Valley pleaded guilty to six robbery counts in a federal court Monday as part of an agreement between his attorney and federal prosecutors.

Jay Carlton Brammer, 24, was dubbed the “Briefcase Bandit” by FBI agents because he usually carried a briefcase containing a gun which he used to carry out the crimes, authorities said.

At the U.S. District Court hearing, Brammer admitted to U.S. District Court Judge Audrey Collins that he robbed six banks in the San Fernando Valley, said Barbara Masterson, the U.S. attorney prosecuting the case. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 10, Masterson said.

He admitted robbing two banks in Northridge, two in Encino and one each in Studio City and Tarzana between November, 1994, and March, Masterson said. Those robberies netted Brammer, a former credit card phone services entrepreneur, more than $18,000, she added.

Each count carries a maximum penalty of a 25-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine, Santwier said.

The plea agreement reached between the defendant and prosecutors can be thrown out by a judge at sentencing, he said.

Brammer’s attorney, Rickard Santwier, described his client as an anomaly in the criminal justice system.

“He has no prior convictions, and seems very much like the guy who lives next door,” Santwier said. “He is going to jail for a long time, but it’s entirely up to the judge as to what will happen.”

Brammer was a suspect in as many as 19 holdups, and most of his targets in the year-long robbery spree were located along Ventura Boulevard and in west San Fernando Valley communities, authorities said.

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Media attention to Brammer and his flamboyant style, including news reports featuring photos taken by bank security cameras, apparently began to unnerve the bandit, and late on March 21 he surrendered to FBI agents at their office in Westwood.

Brammer called ahead to identify himself to somewhat skeptical agents, as the “Briefcase Bandit.” At 8:10 p.m., about 10 minutes after he made the call, Brammer walked into the federal office building in Westwood and waited patiently for agents to come to the lobby. When they arrived he raised his arms above his waist and shrugged, according to court records.