A Houston couple planned to meet a marijuana seller at a local park in May, and according to federal investigators, the meeting ended with the seller robbed and carjacked at gunpoint. Kwasi Jack and his girlfriend, Jamiya Barnett, have now been federally indicted on Hobbs Act robbery, carjacking, and weapons charges tied to the alleged attack.
Per FBI Houston, Jack and Barnett allegedly attacked the marijuana seller after arranging to meet him at the park, then robbed and carjacked the victim at gunpoint. Houston police eventually arrested the pair, but not before the couple allegedly led officers on a car chase that ended in a crash, according to the same agency.
FBI Houston's Violent Crimes Task Force is investigating the case, per the agency's announcement. That task force is a joint operation pairing FBI agents with officers from the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff's Office to target violent robberies, carjackings, and armed offenses, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Why a Local Robbery Became a Federal Case
A robbery stemming from a marijuana deal might seem like it belongs in state court, but federal prosecutors have long had a legal pathway to claim it instead. Under the Supreme Court's 2016 decision in Taylor v. United States, robbing a drug dealer automatically satisfies the Hobbs Act's requirement that a crime connect to interstate commerce, since the illegal drug market as a whole is considered to affect commerce across state lines.
That precedent gives federal prosecutors broad authority to step in whenever an armed robbery targets a drug transaction, and the Southern District of Texas has used it before. Federal prosecutors in that district have frequently brought Hobbs Act robbery and firearm charges against violent “rip crews” that target drug deals to steal cash or narcotics, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
What Jack and Barnett Are Facing in Court
The charges against the boyfriend-and-girlfriend duo carry substantial prison exposure if they're convicted. A Hobbs Act robbery conviction alone carries a statutory maximum of up to 20 years in federal prison per count, plus fines of up to $250,000, according to the Legal Information Institute.
The federal carjacking charge adds its own exposure. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2119, federal carjacking carries a maximum of 15 years in prison when no serious bodily injury occurs, provided prosecutors can show the vehicle previously moved in interstate commerce and that the defendant acted with intent to cause death or serious harm, per Wallin & Klarich. On top of that, federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 924(c) mandates a minimum consecutive sentence of five to seven years for brandishing or using a firearm during a crime of violence, a penalty that must be served on top of, not alongside, any robbery or carjacking sentence, the Legal Information Institute notes.
The Legal Risk Behind the Marijuana Deal Itself
The alleged robbery grew out of an illegal transaction in the first place, since marijuana remains illegal across Texas regardless of what happened afterward. Under Texas Health and Safety Code § 481.121, possessing two ounces or less of marijuana flower is still a Class B misdemeanor in 2026, punishable by up to 180 days in county jail and fines as high as $2,000, according to McCarty-Larson.
Concentrated forms of THC face even harsher treatment under state law. Vape cartridges, wax, and edibles fall under Penalty Group 2 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act and are charged as automatic felonies, carrying sentences from 180 days to two years in state jail even for small quantities, the firm notes. Any resulting drug conviction in Texas also triggers an automatic six-month driver's license suspension, regardless of whether a vehicle was involved in the offense.
Part of a Broader Crackdown
The case arrives as Texas has been expanding multi-agency efforts against violent crime. In March, state officials expanded task force operations statewide after Houston's model program topped 700 repeat-offender arrests and seized hundreds of illegal firearms, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Jack and Barnett's indictment now heads into that same federal system, where the mandatory firearm enhancement alone could add years onto whatever sentence a robbery or carjacking conviction brings.
