A Washington, D.C. man is wanted on felony carjacking charges months after he allegedly walked into Audi Bethesda, asked for a test drive, pulled a handgun on an employee, and sped off in a gray Audi S5. Joe Cofer, 38, remains at large, and authorities say he should be considered armed and dangerous.
According to WBFF / Fox45 News, Cofer entered the Montgomery County dealership on June 29 using identification in his own name, and employees allowed him to take the vehicle for a spin. During the test drive, the accompanying employee took the key fob before stepping out of the car to snap photos of Cofer behind the wheel at his request, telling them it was for his wife. That is when, per the outlet, Cofer showed the employee what appeared to be a small black and gray handgun and told them to walk away. He then drove off in the Audi S5 as the employee called 911.
Investigators say Cofer did not arrive at the Bethesda dealership in a car of his own. The report states he showed up driving an Audi that had been reported stolen out of Audi of Tysons Corner in Vienna, Virginia, just one day earlier, on June 28 — a dealership roughly 11 miles from Audi Bethesda. Deputy Marshal Jennifer Mazza said investigators in Virginia noted that vehicle had been stolen in a similar manner, and that a surveillance image from the Virginia dealership matched identification Cofer had provided.
Injuries Tied to an Earlier Silver Spring Incident
The stolen Audi S5 was eventually tracked using Audi Connect technology to Washington, D.C., about six miles away, where officers recovered the vehicle — though Cofer himself was not found at the scene, the outlet reports. Investigators have also connected Cofer to a vandalism incident in Silver Spring, Maryland, on June 26, just days before the Bethesda carjacking, in which he allegedly broke a window, lost a significant amount of blood, and was taken to a hospital.
Mazza said investigators considered the cuts, bruises, and hospital bracelet dealership employees later noticed on Cofer to be consistent with injuries from that Silver Spring incident, according to the same WBFF report. Cofer is also described as having a lengthy criminal history, with past offenses including burglary, larceny, fraud, identity theft, assault, controlled-dangerous-substance violations, and stolen auto charges. Records cited in the report show he was arrested and charged with felony unlawful taking of a motor vehicle in both 2009 and 2010, and faced a charge for being a fugitive from justice in 2011.
A County Already Grappling With a Car Theft Surge
The Bethesda carjacking landed in the middle of what Montgomery County police describe as a dramatic spike in vehicle thefts. As of July 28, the county had recorded 1,569 stolen vehicles, with thefts up 22 percent compared to the previous year, according to WTOP. That increase stands out because the National Insurance Crime Bureau has reported automobile theft declining dramatically nationwide, the station notes.
Montgomery County Police Captain Cody Fields told WTOP that some thieves have used inexpensive devices typically sold to locksmiths and auto mechanics to intercept key-fob signals, a method distinct from the dealership scam described in Cofer's case. Police said 156 people had been arrested for auto theft so far that year, including 90 adults and 46 juveniles, as county officers continue responding to a steady stream of vehicle theft reports.
Other Dealership and Highway Carjackings in the Region
Cofer's case is not the only armed dealership carjacking Montgomery County has logged this year. On the same day Cofer allegedly struck in Bethesda, police also reported an armed carjacking in the 7000 block of Arlington Road, where a man posing as a customer pulled a handgun during a test drive, ordered the salesperson out, and drove off, according to MoCoShow. That incident occurred in the department's 2nd District, which covers Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and nearby communities, though the outlet does not establish any connection between that case and the one involving Cofer.
Armed carjackings tied to luxury vehicles have also surfaced just across the Potomac. In Fairfax County, a driver had a gun pulled on her and her 2013 Acura stolen in the 7000 block of Richmond Highway, touching off a pursuit that Virginia State Police and Prince George's County police helped run into Maryland, according to DC News Now. That suspect was ultimately arrested after crashing into another vehicle, and officers recovered a gun at the scene.
Federal Prosecutors Have Pursued Similar Cases
Federal authorities in the region have previously secured convictions in carjacking conspiracies spanning the same three jurisdictions. Taurian Anderson, 21, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to his role in a conspiracy to commit a series of armed carjackings across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, the FBI announced. That case illustrates the kind of multi-state prosecution investigators can pursue once a suspect is located, though no such outcome has been reported for Cofer.
For now, Cofer remains wanted months after the warrant for his arrest was issued, and the U.S. Marshals Service has joined the search for him. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 202-819-5058. Tipsters may remain anonymous, and a reward may be available for information leading to Cofer, though the exact amount has not been disclosed.
