After several days of deliberation, a jury has convicted seven men for their involvement in a series of armed carjackings throughout 2023. Jaelen Jordan, Warren Montgomery, Bryon Gillum, Isaiah Flowers, Jahkai Goff, Taj Giles, and Irshaad Ellis-Bey were found guilty of a spree that terrorized multiple victims across the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County, MD.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the verdict, highlighting the gravity of the crimes and the extensive cooperation between multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI, USMS, and ATF, in bringing the defendants to justice. The evidence presented in the trial revealed a calculated series of violent thefts, with the accused orchestrating armed carjackings that ended, on one occasion, in the targeting of a senior citizen.
The convictions covered a wide range of charges, from conspiracy to commit a crime of violence to trafficking in stolen property. According to statements obtained by the Department of Justice, Goff was found guilty for his role in the February 27 carjacking, Flowers for his participation in the February and May incidents, and Ellis-Bey for his involvement in the February event. Meanwhile, Montgomery's convictions included his connection to the April and May carjackings, while Giles was implicated in the February and April crimes. Jordan, involved in all three incidents, faced the broadest range of charges, and lastly, Gillum was convicted for his part in the February and April crimes.
The carjackings, which took place on February 27, April 27, and May 16, involved the theft of high-end vehicles like a Porsche Cayenne and a BMW X6 at gunpoint. The operation was sophisticated and brazen, the perpetrators using a previously carjacked Dodge Charger to commit one of their crimes and later utilizing an apartment building garage as a staging ground for selling the stolen vehicles. Jordan was arrested on May 17, 2023, the day after he offered to sell a Porsche Cayenne GTS carjacked from a senior citizen the day before. The remaining defendants were arrested between October and December of the same year, as mentioned in the press release.
U.S. Attorney Pirro said the convictions were the result of coordinated efforts among multiple agencies, including the Prince George's County Police Department and Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Evans and Emily Clarke. She noted that the cross-jurisdictional task force played a key role in assembling the evidence and building the case against the defendants. Authorities said the investigation focused on a series of violent carjackings, and the convictions mark a significant step in addressing those crimes within the affected communities.
