East Cleveland Man Charged with Using a Firearm During a Carjacking

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio
August 2, 2011

Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced that a grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Shaundelle Dial, age 19, of East Cleveland, Ohio, with using a firearm during and in relation to a carjacking, and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

The indictment alleges that on or about June 23, 2011, Dial knowingly carried a firearm with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm to take a motor vehicle by force, violence, and intimidation. The charge stems from an armed carjacking that occurred in Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

The indictment further alleges that from June 23, 2011, through June 25, 2011, Dial, who had been previously convicted of a felony, knowingly possessed seven rounds of Federal Cartridge Company, 9 mm caliber ammunition.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arturo Hernandez and Matthew B. Kall, following investigation by the Warrensville Heights Police Department, in coordination with the FBI’s Cleveland/Cuyahoga Violent Crime Task Force, the Cleveland Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.