Eight Carjackers In Philly Will Now Face Federal Charges
by Alex Lloyd Gross
April 6, 2022
THIS STORY WILL BE UPDATED WITH MORE INFO WHEN IT IS RECEIVED.
The feds do not play around. Armed carjacking is punishable by spending life in prison without any chance of parole. That is in addition to any state prison sentence that the carjacker will face.
The US Attorney’s Office announced that eight alleged carjackers now will have to contend with long prison sentences. They were charged with carjacking after a rash of violent crime from December 2021 until February 2022. More charges could be coming and more arrests may be made as well.
The indicted are as follows:
- Christopher Robinson, 20, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Criminal Complaint with (1) carjacking, (2) carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence; in connection with three armed carjackings on December 9, 2021, January 5, 2022, and January 11, 2022, all in West Philadelphia.
The carjacking victims in these three separate incidents were caught off guard while on the phone sitting in their parked vehicles or filling their gas tank.
- Tarik Chambers, 19, and Nikeem LeachHilton, 21, both of Philadelphia, PA, were charged by Criminal Complaint with (1) carjacking, (2) carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence; in connection a carjacking on December 19, 2021, in Delaware County.
The defendants allegedly used a privately-made “ghost” gun to carjack the victim in the rear parking lot of a retail store along Baltimore Pike in Springfield. The defendants fled from the police, leading officers on a high-speed car chase through Delaware County before crashing into another motorist’s car, who suffered severe, life-threatening injuries including broken bones and significant head trauma.
- Dayon Hackett, 19, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with (1) carjacking, (2) carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence; in connection with an armed carjacking that occurred in the Bridesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia and a second armed carjacking and shooting in South Philadelphia, both of which occurred on December 22, 2021.
The second carjacking incident occurred while the victim was sitting in his parked car waiting for a parking space to open. The victim and two offenders exchanged gun fire and the victim sustained serious injuries including severed arteries, shattered bones, and bullets lodged near internal organs.
- Sean Allen, 23, of Camden, NJ, was charged by Indictment with (1) carjacking, (2) carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence; in connection with two armed carjackings on January 4, 2022, and January 6, 2022, in Northeast Philadelphia.
The carjacking incidents occurred after victims posted their vehicles for sale on Facebook Marketplace and were contacted by an account claiming to have an interest in purchasing the vehicles.
- Cameron Styles, 20, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Indictment with (1) carjacking, (2) carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence; in connection with two carjackings on February 10 and February 11, 2022, in Northeast Philadelphia. He was arrested after getting into an accident with a reported stolen car on Grant Avenue, in Philadelphia.
The carjacking incidents occurred while the first victim was waiting for a train, and while the second victim was parked at a gas station.
Additionally, and as previously announced, in February 2022, Alex Fernandez-Pena and Juan Jose Rodriguez were charged by Indictment with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence stemming from their alleged involvement in a carjacking incident of a ride share vehicle earlier this year in the Parkside section of Philadelphia, during which the victim shot both defendants while they tried to flee. These arrests bring the total number of carjacking suspects taken into federal custody in the last several weeks in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania up to eight.
None of the arrested is over the age of 23. Jenifer Crandall, spokesperson for the US Attorney said that “These indictments are not sweeping”, which means if the defendants committed other crimes, they are only charged with the armed carjacking, at this time, on a federal level.
“The rash of carjackings we’ve seen in and around Philadelphia is unacceptable,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “That’s why this task force is united in our efforts to find those responsible and get them off the street. The potential penalties for federal carjacking charges are severe, so if people want to keep committing these crimes, they should know that the carjacking task force will make it a priority to put them in cuffs and behind bars for a good long time. We simply won’t stand for criminals terrorizing innocent people like this.”
“These indictments exemplify the strength of our newly established carjacking task force,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Over the past year we have witnessed a spike in carjackings throughout the Commonwealth, and the announcement of these indictments should send a clear message to those who are thinking about committing violent acts. The public should know we are working closely together with our local, state, and federal partners to seek justice for those responsible for these types of crimes.”