Cleveland Robber Buchanan Convicted of Crime & Evidence Tampering

CLEVELAND, OHIO – A federal jury has found 24-year-old Tandre Buchanan Jr. guilty of interference with commerce by means of robbery and tampering with evidence following a three-day trial in Cleveland.

Buchanan, who was captured wearing a bright orange jacket during the heist, was charged for his role in smashing the windows of Colossal Cupcakes on Euclid Avenue. The incident took place on May 30, 2020, when Buchanan shattered a large window to gain entry into the store, only to have the owner and employees barricade themselves in a bathroom.

According to court documents, Buchanan used a chair to exit through the same broken window after the initial confrontation. He then returned to smash a second window, allowing multiple accomplices to enter the business and steal several items, including inventory and iPads.

Text messages recovered from Buchanan’s phone revealed his involvement in the crime. One message read: “What the hell they do with all the cupcakes?” Buchanan replied, “man I was giving them out.”

The jury also convicted Buchanan of evidence tampering after he disposed of the bright orange clothing he wore during the incident to avoid detection.

Buchanan is set to be sentenced on March 23, 2022. Assistant United States Attorney Scott C. Zarzycki will present a case for sentencing considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This investigation was conducted by the Cleveland FBI with support from the Cleveland Police Department, and the prosecution was handled by Zarzycki.