A Tennessee man has been handed a 20-year prison sentence for his involvement in a Memphis carjacking incident, during which a firearm was used. The U.S. Department of Justice reported that 23-year-old Jadakiss Johnson played the role of the driver in the armed robbery of a 2023 Toyota Camry. Johnson's accomplice, Tyrone White, had previously received a sentence of over nine years for his part in the crime. Court documents outlined that in the early hours of April 9, 2024, White confronted the victim at gunpoint while she sat in her car and demanded she exit the vehicle.
Johnson, who was already barred from possessing firearms due to previous violent felony convictions, added to his criminal record with this latest act. Following the carjacking, when law enforcement officials caught up to him, Johnson attempted to evade capture by driving away and then fleeing on foot. Upon discovery, authorities found several firearms and a machine gun conversion device in the getaway car he had been using. The Justice Department noted that Johnson's status as a career offender played a role in his sentencing, taking into consideration his extensive history of aggravated assault.
Johnson pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a carjacking and also to aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the crime on August 25. The latter charge stemmed from White, who had admitted to the same charges before his sentencing on October 30. At the time of Johnson’s sentencing, evidence of his violent nature was presented, including an assault on another inmate and his pre-arrest access to firearms, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The case against Johnson and White was part of an initiative to combat violent crimes in Memphis, a collaborative effort put forth by the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative and the Western District of Tennessee's U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to the announcement by Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, and Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet, the aim is to address violent gang activity and other serious offenses through the use of federal law enforcement resources. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Nashville Division, along with the Memphis Police Department, were the investigating agencies behind the case, with the prosecutors comprising both trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Brittenum.
