A man from Ramsey County has entered a plea of guilty to charges of illegal firearm possession and engaging in a carjacking, as announced by U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. Court documents highlight that Ricardo Rydell Walker, Jr., aged 21, forcefully took a black 2021 Toyota Highlander on June 30, 2022, using threats of violence and physical harm.
On the day of the incident, Walker and accomplices confronted the victim, identified only as Victim A, as they moved from their car towards their apartment. The aggressors tripped the victim, attempting to run, and Walker struck Victim A on the head with a handgun. Notably, this event unfolded merely six days before law enforcement detained Walker in Maplewood, MN, wherein he was found inside a stolen vehicle and in possession of a Springfield Hellcat 9mm handgun.
In the proceedings yesterday, Walker pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking before U.S. District Court Judge Katherine M. Menendez. He further confessed to aiding and abetting in the 2021 carjackings of several other vehicles, including a black Volkswagen Atlas, a gray Mazda 3, and a gray Nissan Rogue on June 24, 2024. In each instance, Walker alongside others, employed threats and firearms to intimidate the victims.
Additionally, Walker pled guilty to receiving a firearm even though he was already under indictment for a felony. The case, brought against Walker, is a collaborative investigative effort led by local law enforcement including the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the sheriff's offices of both Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, with added assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William C. Mattessich and Mary Riverso are duly prosecuting the case, reported the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
