A Minneapolis man's spree of terror across the Twin Cities has finally come to an end as he was sentenced to over a decade behind bars for three violent carjackings. Javon Thomas Wilson-Branch, 20, received a 121-month prison sentence with three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay up $1,100 in restitution to his victims, the U.S. Attorney’s office confirmed.
U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger said, "This individual put several lives at risk by going on an armed carjacking spree." He emphasized the seriousness of Wilson-Branch's crimes, which included evading law enforcement by driving 120 miles per hour through a residential neighborhood, according to a statement obtained by the Justice Department. This dangerous behavior showcases a troubling rise in such incidents.
The court heard how Wilson-Branch and an accomplice started their crime wave by targeting a couple unloading groceries from their Mercedes Benz SUV and escalated to taking a Toyota Highlander, and then an Audi A6 over the course of 24 hours in March 2023. The victims were menaced at gunpoint, threatened with high-caliber weapons like a Springfield Armory assault rifle, and forced to surrender their possessions — keys, wallets, and phones.
Wilson-Branch's capture came after a tense chase. Officers with the Woodbury Police Department found Wilson-Branch hiding in a building after he fled a carjacked Audi A6 parked in a mall lot. "Wilson-Branch's cowardly and reprehensible actions, aimed at terrorizing innocent victims for personal gain, have no place in a just society," Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis said. The FBI, along with local and state police, collaborated to bring Wilson-Branch to justice after a diligent investigation.
In U.S. District Court, Judge David S. Doty sentenced Wilson-Branch after he pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting carjacking, admitting to a third. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar leads the prosecution efforts, ensuring that the full weight of the law is brought to bear against the perpetrator of these brazen acts of violence.
