Elmer Bonilla, a 23-year-old DC resident, has been handed an 84-month sentence for his role in a series of violent carjackings across the District of Columbia and Maryland, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The conspiracy persisted into 2024, with activities continuing despite multiple arrests within the group.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the sentencing following Bonilla's guilty plea on May 30, 2025, for using a firearm in a violent crime and aiding and abetting. Court documents paint a picture of the crime spree, with the first incident on Jan. 24, 2024, where Bonilla and his co-conspirators, armed and masked, accosted a driver in Northwest DC., using force to commandeer a Dodge Challenger.
The following day, the group's aggressive methods were on display in Hyattsville, Maryland, as they trapped a BMW before making off with it at gunpoint. Bonilla continued his streak of crime after a co-defendant's arrest, burglarizing a residence and directing evidence removal via text message, as detailed in court statements obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
In a string of further thefts, Bonilla, and his accomplices boosted an Infinity Q50, and another vehicle's wallet in Silver Spring, Maryland, and pilfered a Corvette in Virginia with the aid of an advanced device to facilitate the crime. Law enforcement, later on, discovered items linked to the thefts at Rodriguez’s residence – a key partner in Bonilla’s operations. When executing a search warrant on August 9, officers unearthed a Glock magazine, a BB gun, a wad of cash, suspected drugs, and a key fob in Bonilla's home.
The case was a collaborative effort involving numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI Washington Field Office, and local police from Prince George’s County, Baltimore County, and Alexandria City. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caelainn Carney led the prosecution, with support from a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Sarah Martin.
