What started as quick stops for gas on Chicago’s South Side turned into a federal case that will keep one man behind bars for nearly two decades.
U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly on Jan. 8 sentenced Edmund Singleton to 17 years in federal prison for his role in two violent carjackings at South Side gas stations in November 2022. Prosecutors say Singleton drove two armed accomplices to a Roseland station where they stole an Infiniti, then later to a Bronzeville station where they tried, and failed, to take a specially outfitted BMW from a driver who uses crutches. Two co-defendants had already received federal prison terms: Marquell Davis was sentenced to 12 years and Ramone Bradley to nine.
Prosecutors' account of the crimes
According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, the crew used a stolen vehicle to hit the two gas stations hours apart on Nov. 3, 2022. In Roseland, one suspect shoved a gun into a victim’s back. In Bronzeville, prosecutors say the group boxed in a disabled driver in that specially equipped BMW, turning a routine fill-up into a frightening standoff.
Law enforcement later spotted Singleton’s car, touching off a police chase that drew in helicopters and sent suspects sprinting through backyards, tossing firearms as they ran, before officers finally took them into custody.
Co-defendants and earlier pleas
Ramone Bradley, 27, was convicted at trial and sentenced to nine years, while Marquell Davis, 23, pleaded guilty and was given 12 years, according to reporting by CWBChicago. That coverage details the victims, including a doctor who uses crutches, and the second attempted carjacking near the 3100 block of South Michigan Avenue. Hoodline previously covered the indictment in October 2024 (earlier federal trial set).
Obstruction finding and the judge's reasoning
Judge Kennelly found that Singleton obstructed justice before trial by paying a co-defendant to author a false alibi affidavit, and he imposed the 17-year term at sentencing on Jan. 8, court documents show. As Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elie Zenner and Simar Khera wrote in the government's sentencing memorandum, "Defendant’s crimes were serious, violent, and showed a complete disregard for human life." (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois).
Legal notes
The defendants were prosecuted on federal carjacking and firearms counts, and the sentences were announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office alongside FBI and Chicago Police Department officials, local reporting notes. Federal prosecutors pushed for lengthy terms to reflect the violence of the offenses and the risk posed to everyday Chicagoans, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago.
What it means locally
Victims, prosecutors and court filings describe how ordinary errands turned into moments of terror, and neighborhood coverage highlights the 20-minute pursuit that finally ended the spree. Court records and local reporting place the case in a broader federal crackdown on armed vehicle thefts in the city, with officials signaling they are willing to throw serious time at carjackings that target regular Chicagoans just trying to get home. (CWBChicago).
