A St. Louis man has been sentenced to 146 months in federal prison for an attempted armed robbery and a later attempted carjacking. Cornell Woolfolk, 29, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the events began when Woolfolk crashed a 2008 Pontiac into a taxicab, causing property damage and prompting a dangerous attempt to flee the scene. His blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.14 percent, nearly twice the legal limit for driving.
After the crash, officers observed Woolfolk remove a bag from the Pontiac and enter the backseat of a 2011 Nissan Altima, driven by a bystander who had stopped to help. According to the release, Woolfolk initially refused officers’ orders to exit the vehicle and escalated the situation by pursuing the good Samaritan before being taken into custody.
Officers also found a stolen .380-caliber pistol in Woolfolk’s possession, along with several half-empty liquor bottles in the crashed Pontiac, highlighting the combination of recklessness and violence. Judge Joshua M. Divine, after reviewing the evidence and hearing testimony from a Berkeley police officer, determined that Woolfolk attempted an armed robbery and tried to carjack the good Samaritan. Police intervened before Woolfolk could flee, preventing the crimes from being completed.
The investigation involved the Berkeley Police Department, the Woodson Terrace Police Department, and the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj leading the prosecution. The case is part of the broader Operation Take Back America initiative, a nationwide effort aimed at addressing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels, and combating violent crime. The initiative coordinates multiple divisions within the Department of Justice, including the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods, to enhance community safety across the United States.
